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Graphene aerogel (GA), a 3D carbon-based nanostructure built on 2D graphene sheets, is well known for being the lightest solid material ever synthesized. It also possesses many other exceptional properties, such as high specific surface area and large liquid absorption capacity, thanks to its ultra-high porosity. Computationally, the mechanical properties of GA have been studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which uncover nanoscale mechanisms beyond experimental observations. However, studies on how GA structures and properties evolve in response to simulation parameter changes, which provide valuable insights to experimentalists, have been lacking. In addition, the differences between the calculated properties via simulations and experimental measurements have rarely been discussed. To address the shortcomings mentioned above, in this study, we systematically study various mechanical properties and the structural integrity of GA as a function of a wide range of simulation parameters. Results show that during the in silico GA preparation, smaller and less spherical inclusions (mimicking the effect of water clusters in experiments) are conducive to strength and stiffness but may lead to brittleness. Additionally, it is revealed that a structurally valid GA in the MD simulation requires the number of bonds per atom to be at least 1.40, otherwise the GA building blocks are not fully interconnected. Finally, our calculation results are compared with experiments to showcase both the power and the limitations of the simulation technique. This work may shed light on the improvement of computational approaches for GA as well as other novel nanomaterials. 

Ordered porous RGO/SnO₂thin films for ultrasensitive humidity detection at room temperature. 

A cobalt oxide (Co3O4)-decorated silicon carbide (SiC) nano-tree array (denoted as Co3O4/SiC NTA) electrode is synthesized, and it is investigated for use in micro-supercapacitor applications. Firstly, the well-standing SiC nanowires (NWs) are prepared by nickel (Ni)-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, and then the thin layer of Co3O4 and the hierarchical Co3O4 nano-flower-clusters are, respectively, fabricated on the side-walls and the top side of the SiC NWs via electrodeposition. The deposition of Co3O4 on the SiC NWs benefits the charge transfer at the electrode/aqueous electrolyte interface due to its extremely hydrophilic surface characteristic after Co3O4 decoration. Furthermore, the Co3O4/SiC NTA electrode provides a directional charge transport route along the length of SiC nanowires owing to their well-standing architecture. By using the Co3O4/SiC NTA electrode for micro-supercapacitor application, the areal capacitance obtained from cyclic voltammetry measurement reaches 845 mF cm−2 at a 10 mV s−1 scan rate. Finally, the capacitance durability is also evaluated by the cycling test of cyclic voltammetry at a high scan rate of 150 mV s−1 for 2000 cycles, exhibiting excellent stability.