A mechanically strong, flexible and conductive film based on bacterial cellulose/graphene nanocomposite

A highly flexible nanocomposite film of bacterial cellulose (BC) and graphene oxide (GO) with a layered structure was presented using the vacuum-assisted self-assembly technique. Microscopic and X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrated that the GO nanosheets were uniformly dispersed in the BC matrix. The interactions between BC and GO were studied by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. Compared with pristine BC, the integration of 5 wt% GO resulted in 10% and 20% increase in Young's modulus and tensile strength of the composite film. The electrical conductivity of the composite film containing 1 wt% GO after in situ reduction showed a remarkable increase by 6 orders of magnitude compared with the insulated BC. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.