Subtle devising of electro-induced shape memory behavior for cellulose/graphene aerogel nanocomposite

Abstract

Herein, a cellulose-based aerogel, containing graphene-oxide (GO), chemically-reduced-GO (CrGO), and thermally-reduced-GO (TrGO), has been facile prepared to investigate mechanical and electrical properties as well as meso-(nano)structure features. The effect of reduction processes on the cellulose/GO aerogel was tracked by FT-IR spectroscopy and EDS analysis, confirming the accomplishment of reduction processes—carbon/oxygen (C/O) ratio asserted it evidently. The formation of porous structure has been declared using SEM micrographs, and then, Mercury-porosimetry and BET tests revealed meso-(nano)structure of aerogels. The improvement of mechanical behavior with the increment of Young modulus has been seen by raising C/O ratio. Low thermal and moderate electrical conductivity was measured for the reduced aerogels concerning the addition of different conductive fillers. With introducing a novel method for studying shape memory properties, the best shape recovery rate was obtained for thermally reduced aerogel in an aqueous situation by simultaneously applying mechanical force and an electrical field (various voltages).