Scalable Nanomanufacturing of Graphene Based Composites with Controllable Properties

这笔赠款支持支持开发可扩展的纳米制造方法的研究，用于具有可控性能的石墨烯基聚合物纳米复合材料。该项目涉及基于石墨烯的纳米复合材料性能的层相关控制及其最终的可扩展制造，重点是光机械驱动。将发展微观模型来描述石墨烯/聚合物复合材料的光机械响应。实验包括基于层数的石墨烯分离，研究石墨烯基复合材料的机械强度、渗流阈值和电导率的层依赖关系，以及利用这种可控纳米制造技术来创造具有高能量转换效率的先进复合材料。如果研究成功，这项研究成果将导致基于石墨烯的高能效材料和复合材料，具有可预测和可控的性能，如渗流阈值、电导率、机械强度和光机械驱动。石墨烯复合材料的可伸缩纳米制造最终可能导致无数技术，如用于传感应变和压力的智能人造皮肤，以及将太阳能转换为电能、热量和机械运动的技术。该提议将对基于层数的石墨烯分离做出先进的贡献，将石墨烯层作为核心用于增强聚合和交联，层相关的光机械响应和石墨烯复合材料的橡胶弹性具有不同水平的渗流阈值，以及先进复合材料和光机械驱动器的纳米制造技术。所提出的工作还将为石墨烯复合材料的微观数学建模和拉曼光谱研究做出贡献。

This grant supports research supporting the development of scalable nanomanufacturing methods for graphene-based polymer nanocomposites with controllable properties. The project involves layer dependent control of graphene based nano-composite properties and their eventual scalable manufacturing with an emphasis on photomechanical actuation. Microscopic models will be developed for describing the photomechanical response of graphene/polymer composites. Experiments involving separation of graphene based on the number of layers, investigating the layer dependency of mechanical strength, percolation threshold, and electrical conductivity of graphene based composites and utilization of such controllable nanomanufacturing techniques for creation of advanced composites with high energy conversion efficiencies will be investigated. If successful, the results of this research will lead to energy efficient materials and composites based on graphene with predictable and controllable properties such as percolation threshold, electrical conductivity, mechanical strength and photomechanical actuation. Scalable nanomanufacturing of graphene composites could eventually lead to a myriad of technologies such as smart artificial skins for sensing strain and pressure and for converting solar energy into electricity, heat and mechanical motion. The proposal will make advanced contributions to the separation of graphene based on the number of layers, into using graphene layers as nuclei for enhanced polymerization and cross-linking, layer dependent photomechanical responses and rubbery elasticity of graphene composites with varying levels of percolation threshold and nanomanufacturing techniques for advanced composites and photomechanical actuators. The proposed will work will also make contributions to microscopic mathematical modeling and Raman spectroscopy of graphene composites.