Simultaneously enhancing the strength, ductility and conductivity of copper matrix composites with graphene nanoribbons

The incorporation of low-dimensional nanomaterials into 3D metal matrices are promising to translate their intriguing properties from nanoscale to the macroscopic world. However, the design of robust nanofillers and effective fabrication of such bulk composites remain challenging. Here we report a configuration design of nanocarbon for reinforcing metals via unzipping carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), which are novel quasi-1D carboneous nanomaterials combining elegantly the properties of graphene nanosheets and CNTs, to provide insight into the viability to retrieve good plasticity and conductivity that defy the boundaries of classical composites. We realize an optimal balance between elevated yield strength and impressively larger plastic deformation coupled with a simultaneous improving of electrical conductivity (216 MPa, 8.0% and 54.89 MS m−1, i.e., 1.55 folds, 130.4% and 105% of the matrix, respectively), by highlighting that the excellent intrinsic properties, strong interfacial bonding, optimized orientation control and especially the unique geometric factors of GNRs are conducive to transmitting stress from Cu matrix without sacrificing the ductility and electrical conductance. This work provides a new vista on the integration and interaction of novel low-dimensional nanofillers with bulk 3D metal matrices.

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