Harnessing Graphene-Based Nanocomposites for Multifunctional Applications

Due to the distinctive 2D lattice structure, graphene, and its derivatives have received much interest in recent years to advance technology into the era of stretchable, bendable, and flexible technology. Graphene has advantageous features that create diversely effective devices when combined with other materials to create composites. Compared to graphene, its composites exhibit improved features such as excellent mechanical strength, tunable electrical and thermal conductivity, and optical properties. Graphene composites utilize graphene fillers, films, or nanosheets with several other organic and inorganic groups, such as polymers, metal oxides, metal nanowires and nanoparticles, quantum dots, ceramics, and cement through covalent or noncovalent interactions. Numerous factors help tune the characteristics of the composites, such as graphene concentration, filler dispersion, chemical bonding, and others. The chapter discusses various methods for synthesizing graphene-based composites, including melt intercalation, in-situ polymerization, solution processing, etc. It also discusses factors that affect the composite's mechanical, electrical, thermal, photonic, and photocatalytic properties and its wide range of uses in electronics, sensors, transistors, energy storage, and environmental remediation. In addition, the problems and obstacles encountered in the manufacture of composites have been highlighted.

Keywords: Applications, Ceramics, Composites, Electrical properties, Graphene composites, Metal oxides, Polymers, Thermal conductivity, 2D structure.