China University of Science and Technology has developed a bionic super-elastic carbon material

Porous carbon materials have always been a research hotspot in the field of materials science due to their wide range of applications
.

Mechanical flexibility is the key factor that determines the structural stability and durability in the actual application process

Recently, Yu Shuhong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, has developed a super-elastic all-carbon porous material with both high compressibility and stretchability.
Researchers call it a "carbon spring
.

" Its unique microstructure and performance make it an ideal material for manufacturing intelligent vibration and magnetic sensor devices.

Previously, the researchers of the team were inspired by the macro-elastic arch structure of the human "foot arch", and with the help of the bidirectional ice template technology they developed, they constructed an all-carbon porous material composed of orderly stacks of micro-arch structure units, which achieved a high degree of flexibility.
Compressibility and super elasticity (Nat.
Commun.
2016, 7, 12920)
.

Recently, they have once again taken inspiration from the elastic deformation mechanism of the "bow".

In view of the unique deformation mechanism and mechanical properties of the carbon spring, as well as good electrical conductivity, the researchers took it as a key component and successfully developed a strain sensor that can detect small vibrations.
The strain detection limit is at least ±0.
5%, which can be detected.
The highest vibration frequency is at least 1000 Hz, and it can respond sensitively to a variety of complex vibration modes, including simulated seismic wave vibrations (Figure 2a-f)
.

In addition, the researchers co-assembled Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles into the material frame in advance to obtain a magnetic carbon spring that can be driven by a magnetic field

_{3 4}

This work provides an effective way to construct new intelligent vibration and magnetic sensors, and provides a new strategy for using other inorganic components to create highly scalable porous materials that can be used in extreme situations
.

The research work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Frontier Key Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Special Fund for Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities, the Collaborative Innovation Project of Universities in Anhui Province, and the Synchrotron Radiation Joint Fund of the University of Science and Technology of China

 

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the preparation process of carbon spring and its microstructure and mechanical performance characteristics

Figure 2 Application of carbon springs in smart vibration and magnetic sensor devices