Reinforcement of a sugar-based bolaamphiphile/functionalized graphene oxide composite gel: rheological and electrochemical properties.

A sugar-based bolaamphiphile/graphene oxide composite hydrogel has been prepared using simple mixing. Unlike the corresponding sugar-based native gel, the composite gel exhibits a fibrillar structure with a 10-20 nm fiber diameter. The composite gel forms an interdigitated bilayer structure incorporating intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions. The composite gel formation did not change the beneficial electrical properties of graphene offering the potential for integration of this new material into electronic systems. Interestingly, the mechanical and electrochemical properties of the composite gel are both dramatically enhanced when compared to the native gel, thereby reflecting that the functionalized graphene oxide layers are efficiently intercalated within the composite gel structure.