Three-Dimensional Graphene Composite Containing Graphene-SiO2 Nanoballs and Its Potential Application in Stress Sensors

Abstract

Combining functional nanomaterials composite with three-dimensional graphene (3DG) is a promising strategy for improving the properties of stress sensors. However, it is difficult to realize stress sensors with both a wide measurement range and a high sensitivity. In this paper, graphene-SiO2 balls (GSB) were composed into 3DG in order to solve this problem. In detail, the GSB were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, and then were dispersed with graphene oxide (GO) solution to synthesize GSB-combined 3DG composite foam (GSBF) through one-step hydrothermal reduction self-assembly method. The prepared GSBF owes excellent mechanical (95% recoverable strain) and electrical conductivity (0.458 S/cm). Furthermore, it exhibits a broad sensing range (0–10 kPa) and ultrahigh sensitivity (0.14 kPa−1). In addition, the water droplet experiment demonstrates that GSBF is a competitive candidate of high-performance materials for stress sensors.