Low interfacial contact resistance of Al-graphene composites via interface engineering

Al-based composites incorporating multilayered graphene sheets were developed via a facile approach. The multilayered graphene sheets were fabricated from the expanded graphite via a simple mechanical exfoliation process. The facile extrusion molding process with Al powder and graphene sheets exfoliated from expended graphite afforded Al-based graphene composite rods. These composites showed enhanced thermal conductivity compared to the pristine Al rods. Moreover, the Al-based multilayered graphene sheet composites exhibited lower interfacial contact resistance between graphene-based electrodes than the pristine Al. With increasing degrees of dispersion, the number of exposed graphene sheets increases, thereby significantly decreasing the interfacial contact resistance between the composite and external graphite electrode.