Electrical behaviour of native cellulose nanofibril/carbon nanotube hybrid aerogels under cyclic compression

Hybrid aerogels consisting of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and modified few-walled carbon nanotubes (FWCNT) are investigated under cyclic mechanical compression to explore “electrical fatigue”. For this purpose the FWCNTs were hydrophilized, thus promoting their aqueous dispersibility to allow FWCNT/CNF hybrid hydrogels, followed by freeze-drying to obtain hybrid aerogels. The optimized composition consisting of FWCNT/CNF 20/80 wt/wt showed conductivity of 10−5 S cm−1 as promoted due to double percolation, and showed only small changes in electrical and mechanical behaviour upon cycling 100 times. The electrical behaviour under cycled compression shows good stability and reversibility.