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Electric‐Field‐Tunable Conductivity in Graphene/Water and Graphene/Ice Systems
Author(s) -
Zhai Peng,
Wang Yuechen,
Liu Chang,
Wang Xun,
Feng ShienPing
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201701149
Subject(s) - graphene , materials science , electric field , electrical resistivity and conductivity , conductivity , suspension (topology) , electrical conductor , phase transition , chemical physics , dielectric spectroscopy , dispersion (optics) , nanotechnology , surface conductivity , composite material , condensed matter physics , electrochemistry , electrode , chemistry , optics , electrical engineering , physics , mathematics , engineering , quantum mechanics , homotopy , pure mathematics
This study demonstrates that the application of an external electrical potential to a phenyl‐sulfonic functionalized graphene (SG)/water suspension distinctly enhances its electrical conductivity via the structural transition from isolated clusters to a 3D SG network. Microstructural and alternating current impedance spectroscopy studies indicate that the surface charge plays an important role in the state of dispersion and connectivity of the SG in the suspension due to the potential‐dependent interactions with functional groups on the SG surface in the presence of an external electrical potential. In addition, the conductive SG/ice can be produced via liquid–solid phase transition of the SG/water suspension in the presence of an external electrical potential, which shows a one‐order magnitude improvement in electrical conductivity compared with pure ice. The electric‐field‐tunable property advances the understanding of nanofluid systems and has many potential applications.