Fire Intumescent, High-Temperature Resistant, Mechanically Flexible Graphene Oxide Network for Exceptional Fire Shielding and Ultra-Fast Fire Warning

• Published in: Nano-micro letters Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 92 - 18
• Main Authors: Cao, Cheng-Fei, Yu, Bin, Chen, Zuan-Yu, Qu, Yong-Xiang, Li, Yu-Tong, Shi, Yong-Qian, Ma, Zhe-Wen, Sun, Feng-Na, Pan, Qing-Hua, Tang, Long-Cheng, Song, Pingan, Wang, Hao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01.12.2022; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Singapore; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Crosslinking; Engineering; Fire alarms; Fire intumescent effect; Fire protection; Fire resistance; Fire safety; Fireproofing; Flame resistance; Flame retardant; Flame retardants; Flammability; Graphene; Graphene oxide; Heat release rate; High temperature; Multi-amino molecule; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Polymers; Reducing agents; Response time; Robustness; Tensile strength; Thermal reduction; Ultra-fast fire warning; Fire intumescent effect; Multi-amino molecule; Graphene oxide; Flame resistance; Ultra-fast fire warning
• ISSN: 2311-6706; 2150-5551; 2150-5551
• DOI: 10.1007/s40820-022-00837-1

Highlights Graphene oxide-based hybrid networks were fabricated via introducing multi-amino molecule with triple roles (i.e., cross-linker, fire retardant and reducing agent). The optimized hybrid network with mechanically robust, exceptional intumescent effect and ultra-sensitive fire alarm response (~ 0.6 s) can be used as desirable smart fire alarm sensor materials. Exceptional fire shielding performances, e.g., ~ 60% reduction in peak heat release rate and limiting oxygen index of ~ 36.5%, are achieved, when coated such hybrid network onto combustible polymer foam. Smart fire alarm sensor (FAS) materials with mechanically robust, excellent flame retardancy as well as ultra-sensitive temperature-responsive capability are highly attractive platforms for fire safety application. However, most reported FAS materials can hardly provide sensitive, continuous and reliable alarm signal output due to their undesirable temperature-responsive, flame-resistant and mechanical performances. To overcome these hurdles, herein, we utilize the multi-amino molecule, named HCPA, that can serve as triple-roles including cross-linker, fire retardant and reducing agent for decorating graphene oxide (GO) sheets and obtaining the GO/HCPA hybrid networks. Benefiting from the formation of multi-interactions in hybrid network, the optimized GO/HCPA network exhibits significant increment in mechanical strength, e.g., tensile strength and toughness increase of ~ 2.3 and ~ 5.7 times, respectively, compared to the control one. More importantly, based on P and N doping and promoting thermal reduction effect on GO network, the excellent flame retardancy (withstanding ~ 1200 °C flame attack), ultra-fast fire alarm response time (~ 0.6 s) and ultra-long alarming period (> 600 s) are obtained, representing the best comprehensive performance of GO-based FAS counterparts. Furthermore, based on GO/HCPA network, the fireproof coating is constructed and applied in polymer foam and exhibited exceptional fire shielding performance. This work provides a new idea for designing and fabricating desirable FAS materials and fireproof coatings.