Highly flexible, thermally stable, and static dissipative nanocomposite with reduced functionalized graphene oxide processed through 3D printing

In this study, we designed a reduced functionalized graphene oxide/acrylate nanocomposite processed using a facile 3D printing technology of stereolithography (SLA), simultaneously achieving flexibility, thermal stability, and static dissipation capacity. A one-step, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly ultrasonication method was developed for preparing functionalized graphene oxide (fGO), which demonstrated an excellent dispersion and stability in an acrylate derived solution, and significantly increasing the solid loading of fGO in suspensions for the SLA 3D printing. The introduction of 5 wt% fGO endowed the nanocomposite with impressive flexibility and mitigated dimensional shrinkage after the thermal post-curing. Additionally, facilitated by the thermal reduction of fGO inside the acrylate-based nanocomposite, the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite (2.6 x 10(-4) S/cm) was up to 10(8) times higher than that of the neat resin (5 x 10(-12) S/cm), and the nanocomposite exhibited less than 0.1 s static decay time from 1000 to 100 V. Therefore, an SLA-printed nanocomposite with highly flexible, thermally stable, and static dissipative properties holds significant potential for smart electronics with sophisticated applications.

Automated summary

This study developed a reduced functionalized graphene oxide/acrylate nanocomposite through 3D printing technology with flexibility, thermal stability, and static dissipation capacity. A highly efficient ultrasonication method was used to prepare functionalized graphene oxide, increasing its dispersion and stability in acrylate solution for SLA 3D printing. The nanocomposite exhibited impressive electrical conductivity and static dissipative properties, showing potential for smart electronics applications.