Effect of graphene nanoplatelet-infused natural rubber film composite on morphology, spectral, and electrochemical properties

Enhancement in electrical properties of flexible and stretchable materials such as natural rubber has sparked tremendous attention among researchers to generate a high-performance signal for real-world applications. This is because these materials can be used to create electronic devices that are both flexible and stretchable, which is not possible with traditional rigid electronic materials. Due to this development factor, creating a new conductive polymer is crucial that can convert mechanical force into electrical energy. We developed a novel conductive polymer based on graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) infused natural rubber (NR) nanofibrous membrane. It was observed that the composition of 10% total solid content (TSC) NR with 2 wt.% GNP showed excellent electrochemical behavior with the lowest charge transfer resistance (R ct ) value of 707 Ω compared to other modified electrodes. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) curve of 10% TSC NR with 2 wt.% GNP composites demonstrated a high uniformity of active surface area, providing excellent electrical conductivity with a maximum peak current of around 170 µA at a 0.1 Vs −1 scan rate. The present study reveals the developed 10% TSC NR with 2 wt.% GNP composites has significant potential to create innovative electronic devices for various real-world applications.