Bio-inspired design and fabrication of an ultralight and strong nano-carbon gradient composite

• A nano-carbon gradient composite is fabricated by coating a porous graphene aerogel with a strong carbon nanotube film.
• The composite maintains the ultralight feature and exhibits considerably improved mechanical and electrical properties.
• The composite shows good liquid preservation ability and can perform special liquid circulation by tuning the film skin.

A nano-carbon composite, consisting of a graphene aerogel-carbon nanotube (CNT) film, is constructed by coating a strong and flexible CNT film onto the surface of a porous graphene aerogel core. The prepared gradient composite, ultralight and strong, can carry objects more than 15,000 times its own weight, exhibiting impressive compression resistance. Compared to the original graphene aerogel, the composite exhibits 8–9-fold increased values in its elastic modulus and compressive strength at a strain of 20% and an approximately 10-fold increase in electrical conductivities in the axial direction. In addition, the elastic recovery ability after compressive deformation and the ability to preserve liquid are also improved.

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