Scalable Nanomanufacturing of Graphene Based Composites with Controllable Properties

该补助金支持支持开发具有可控特性的石墨烯基聚合物纳米复合材料的可扩展纳米制造方法。该项目涉及石墨烯基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。微观模型将被开发用于描述石墨烯/聚合物复合材料的光机械响应。将研究涉及基于层数的石墨烯分离的实验，调查石墨烯基复合材料的机械强度、逾渗阈值和电导率的层依赖性，以及利用这种可控纳米制造技术来创建具有高能量转换效率的先进复合材料。如果成功，这项研究的结果将导致基于石墨烯的节能材料和复合材料具有可预测和可控的特性，如逾渗阈值，电导率，机械强度和光机械致动。石墨烯复合材料的可扩展纳米制造最终可能会导致无数的技术，例如用于传感应变和压力以及将太阳能转化为电力，热量和机械运动的智能人工皮肤。该提案将根据层数对石墨烯的分离做出先进的贡献，使用石墨烯层作为增强聚合和交联的核，层依赖的光机械响应和石墨烯复合材料的橡胶弹性，具有不同水平的渗滤阈值和先进复合材料和光机械致动器的纳米制造技术。本文的工作也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.