Graphene-based nanocomposites for structural and functional applications: using 2-dimensional materials in a 3-dimensional world

Graphene-based composites are currently the only application of graphene already commercialized on a large scale. However, the performance of such products is not comparable to that of pristine graphene sheets, measured at the nanoscale, which easily outperform well-established materials such as steel, silicon, or copper. A key reason for this difference in properties is that it is not yet fully understood how two-dimensional (2D) -based composites work at the nanoscale level and, more importantly, what is the ultimate performance (mechanical, electrical, etc.) that can be achieved when they are included in a bulk material. In the first year of the ramp-up phase of the Flagship, the 'Nanocomposites' work package has studied how to improve the processing, interaction, and performance of graphene and related materials (GRMs) in three-dimensional (3D) composites. This article offers a quick overview of some of the main results obtained within this rapidly evolving field.