posted on 2023-06-16, 04:15authored byXiaolong Ma, Zisong Kong, Yu Gao, Yaoning Bai, Weiyao Wang, Honglin Tan, Xiaoming Cai, Jinming Cai
Compressible, conductive, ultralight, and superhydrophobic
graphene
aerogels (GAs) are promising for wearable electronics and adsorption
applications. However, the unsatisfactory sensing performances and
lack of multiscale structural regulation still impede the development
of multifunctional GAs. Herein, a multifunctional aerogel based on
graphene/silk is reporteda highly ordered three-dimensional
(3D) reduced graphene oxide (rGO) conductive network is established
by an alkali-induced hydrothermal self-assembly strategy, while silk
fibroin (SF) bound to graphene oxide (GO) by electrostatic interactions
is uniformly distributed throughout the network. The ultralight rGO/SF
aerogel (GSA) has the property that its resistance varies with compression,
so it can be used for flexible pressure sensors. A GSA-based sensor
can detect compressive stresses down to 0.35 kPa and has a response
time of 0.55 s and a recovery time of 0.58 s. It has a good linear
response from 0.5 to 30 kPa with sensitivities of 0.54 kPa–1 (0.5–4 kPa) and 0.21 kPa–1 (4–30
kPa), respectively. The GSA-based sensor also has excellent durability,
remaining stable after 12,000 cycles. As proof of concept, its applications
for health monitoring, speech recognition, and motion capture are
shown. Furthermore, the carbonized rGO/SF aerogels (C-GSAs) with superhydrophobicity
can adsorb various organic substances (146.7–278.8 g/g) and
achieve oil–water separation.