Graphene coating transforms fragile aerogels into superelastic materials
Thursday, August 9, 2012 - 08:01
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org) -- Like donning a Supermans cape, fragile carbon nanotube (CNT) aerogels that are covered by a graphene coating can be transformed from a material that easily collapses under compression to one that can resist large amounts of compression and completely recover its original shape after removal of the load. The superelasticity and fatigue resistance provided by the graphene coating could make CNT aerogels useful in a variety of areas, including as electrodes, artificial muscles, and other mechanical structures.