Fabrication and properties of graphene nanoribbon aerogels using Pickering emulsions as the template

Graphene-based aerogels have attracted considerable attention because of their excellent properties, such as low density, high porosity, large specific surface area, and outstanding electrical conductivity, with promising use in the fields of sensors, catalysis, and energy-related storage. Here graphene nanoribbons were prepared by unzipping carbon nanotubes. Graphene nanoribbon aerogels were fabricated using Pickering emulsions as the soft template and poly(propylene glycol)bis(2-aminopropyl ether) (D400) as the co-surfactant and cross-linker. It was shown that aerogels prepared from an emulsion with a water/oil ratio of 7:1 have a uniform pore structure and excellent mechanical properties. The aerogels exhibit remarkable shape recovery after compression/release tests for 1 000 cycles at 50% strain. The structure can fully recover even after compression/release tests for 50 cycles at a 95% strain. The electrical conductivity of the aerogels is proportional to the strain regardless of the strain rate.