Porous polydimethylsiloxane filled with graphene-based material for biomedicine

In this paper, the synthesis of macro-porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponges decorated with reduced graphene oxide and graphene is described using a top-down approach based on the sugar templating process. Among the multiple assets enjoyed by PDMS, its elasticity and porosity make possible the uniform dispersion of embedded graphene-based material into its structure. Where possible, the optical, surface and morphology properties of both porous PDMS composites and their not porous (bulk) counterparts have been studied. Scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM), based on the reciprocity between the beam energy loss and the sample areal density, has been used to obtain the images of the sponge internal part. A detailed spatial resolution of the PDMS microstructure has been deduced by the areal density map. The homogeneous dispersion of the fillers was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and indirectly by light transmittance measures performed in several regions of the PDMS bulk. The reduced graphene oxide and graphene introduced into PDMS significantly improve its electrical conductivity. The porosity of the presented hybrid material holds a key role for good performances in microelectronics and biomedicine.