Polymer casting of ultralight graphene aerogels for the production of conductive nanocomposites with low filling content

Abstract

We report a convenient and effective method to fabricate monolithic and conductive nanocomposites with various morphologies by directly infiltrating epoxy resin into the pores of ultralight graphene aerogels (ULGAs) with desired morphologies, followed by curing. These composites show linear ohmic behavior even with graphene filling content as low as 0.28 wt%. The electrical conductivity of the composites can be modulated in the range from 3.3 × 10⁻² to 4.8 × 10⁻¹ S m⁻¹, superior to that of traditional composites by directly mixing the powdery graphene with the polymer. Furthermore, the conductivity of the nanocomposites remains unchanged in a wide range of temperature which may allow the structures to be promising candidates as resistance elements for integrated circuits (ICs).