Strong Reduced Graphene Oxide Coated <i>Bombyx mori</i> Silk

Abstract

Abstract Bombyx mori silks possess great potential in textile industries due to the large‐scale green production. However, the demand for silks with functional as well as mechanical properties are continuously rising due to the emergence of other functional textiles. It remains a great challenge to functionalize natural silk and simultaneously improve its mechanical properties. Inspired by the relationship between natural core–sheath structure and mechanical properties of cocoon silk, the application of a thin reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layer coated B. mori silk (GS) is shown via hydrogen interfacial interaction. The resultant rGO‐coated silk exhibits a remarkable tensile strength of 1137.7 MPa and toughness of 304.5 MJ m −3 , which are 1.9 and 2.6 times higher than that of pure B. mori silk, respectively. Moreover, the GS shows a high electrical conductivity of 0.37 S m −1 with great thermal and deformation sensitivity. The bioinspired approach provides a universal and facile strategy for functionalizing natural fibers by applying rGO nanosheets surface coating.