PVA/graphene Aerogels With High Mechanical Strength

Abstract In this study, graphene aerogels with high mechanical strength were successfully prepared by effectively doping graphene aerogels with different proportions of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The structure of the as-prepared aerogels was studied by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The result indicated that the aerogels show a three-dimensional network-like structure and PVA has been successfully incorporated into graphene aerogels. The mechanical properties of the graphene aerogels doped with different proportions of PVA were tested, indicating that the PVA/GAs can support 7000 times of its own weight and its maximum compressive stress can be up to 400 KPa.