title: Graphene-Based Bionic Composites with Multifunctional and Repairing Properties.
abstract: In this work, a novel bionic composite inspired by the concept of yeast fermentation has been proposed. It was observed that the addition of graphene nanoplatelets during the fermentation of extract of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungi allows coupling of the graphene sheets to the yeast cell wall. This process resulted in the formation of a composite film with improved mechanical and electrical properties along with the capability of converting the light stimulus in the electrical signal. The mechanical properties of the prepared composites, namely, the fracture strength and Young's modulus, were studied via numerical simulations and are related to the properties of the constituent phases via rules of mixture. Finally, it was observed that graphene nanoplatelets, added to the nutrient broth, were able to reassemble onto the stressed cell surface and repair the surface cracking, partially restoring the pristine electrical and mechanical properties. The method reported here may find potential application in the development of self-healable bioelectronic devices and microorganism-based strain and chemical biosensors.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale, Università di Perugia , UdR INSTM, Strada di Pentima 4, 05100 Terni, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Valentini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale, Università di Perugia , UdR INSTM, Strada di Pentima 4, 05100 Terni, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bittolo Bon
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bio-Inspired and Graphene Nanomechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento , via Mesiano 77, I-38123 Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Signetti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bio-Inspired and Graphene Nanomechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento , via Mesiano 77, I-38123 Trento, Italy.|Centre for Materials and Microsystems, Fondazione Bruno Kessler , via Sommarive 18, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy.|School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London , Mile End Road, E1 4NS London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Pugno
mesh_terms: D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006108:Graphite
keywords: biohybrid composites; functional properties; graphene; self-repairing