Flexible and High-Strength Porous Graphene/Polyurea Composite Film for Multifunctional Applications

Abstract

Porous composites possess distinctive structural features and performance advantages, making them promising for applications in various domains such as sensing, energy storage, and acoustics. A simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly method was employed to prepare porous polyurea materials, which were then modified with graphene nanosheets. The resulting graphene/polyurea porous composites demonstrated enhanced mechanical properties, with a 35.04% increase in tensile strength at a graphene content of 5 wt%. These composites exhibited exceptional multifunctionality, achieving a specific capacitance of 35.74 F/g when used as capacitor electrodes. Additionally, they displayed high sensitivity to resistance and capacitance changes under various mechanical loads, such as tensile, torsional, and bending stresses, with a resistance change rate of 57.72% under 180-degree torsion, highlighting their potential as resistive and capacitive sensors. Compared to traditional materials, the multifunctional composites maintained a resistance change rate below 40% and a capacitance retention rate above 95.07% after 10,000 cycles, underscoring their durability and reliability. Moreover, the developed graphene/polyurea porous composites exhibited good corrosion resistance and an impressive sound absorption rate of 30.68% for high-decibel noise, reducing environmental limitations for their applications. These properties position the composite as a durable, high-sensitivity, multifunctional material with significant potential in sensing, energy storage, and noise reduction applications.