Electrical properties and shape-memory behavior of self-assembled carbon nanofiber nanopaper incorporated with shape-memory polymer

The present paper studies the electrical and shape-memory behavior of self-assembled carbon nanofiber (CNF) nanopaper incorporated with shape-memory polymer (SMP). The morphology and structure of the self-assembled nanopapers were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A continuous and compact network was observed from the SEM images, which indicates that the CNF nanopaper could have highly conductive properties. The electrical conductivity of the CNF nanopaper was measured by the four-point probe method and its temperature coefficient effect was studied. Finally, the actuation of SMP was demonstrated by the electrical resistive heating of the CNF nanopaper.