Novel Flyweight Three-Dimensional Self-Assembled Graphene Oxide/Octa(Aminophenyl) Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Hybrid Aerogels

Herein, flyweight organic-inorganic hybrid scaffolds were fabricated by self-assembly and reduction of graphene oxide via covalent reaction of octa(aminophenyl) polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane with graphene oxide. Octa(aminophenyl) polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane created a decorative coating on the graphene oxide surface. It acts as a nano-crosslinker, especially on the overlapped-zone of graphene oxide platelets to bind them close-fitting. The resulting hybrid hydrogel was transformed into aerogel by the solvent exchange process with liquid carbon dioxide, followed by liquid carbon dioxide supercritical drying. Different concentrations of graphene oxide and octa(aminophenyl) polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane were prepared and the structureproperty relationship of obtained aerogels is elucidated. Bulk density and porosity of the aerogels are located between the super-low values of 2.7 to 5.9 mg/cm3 and beyond 99.5 %, respectively. According to the adsorption-desorption isotherms of BET-technique, the surface area of obtained aerogels was in between 250 to 713 m2/g. The findings remark the potential application of obtained aerogels in the production of supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, solar cells, etc. in energy storage and conversion devices, electrode materials, sensors, gas/oil/dye adsorbents, and high-temperature insulators in the aerospace industry.