3D Graphene Sponge Research Articles

Exploring the use of 3D graphene sponge composited phase change material for improved thermal performance in battery thermal management systems

The phase change material (PCM) cooling system is evolving towards lightweight, high thermal conductivity, and high integration with comprehensive heating and cooling capabilities to enhance its broader range of applications. In this study, a high-integrity thermal management system (TMS) based on 3D graphene sponge composited phase change material (CPCM) was developed comprising a melamine sponge (MS), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and paraffin wax (PW). The RGO is discontinuously distributed on the MS skeleton, with no chemical bonding between the components. With the increase of the concentration of graphene oxide solution from 2 mg/ml to 10 mg/ml, the properties of thermal conductivity, leakage-proof performance, and electrifying heating were dramatically improved by 27 %, 8 %, and 15.6 times, respectively. At −10 °C, the cells can be heated by adding an electric current to the CPCM, with the heating power positively correlated with the loading current. The heating performance and energy consumption of composite PCM were comprehensively analyzed at different sizes. For the single cell, the temperature rise rate can reach 2.2, 4.3, 9, and 12 °C/min at 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 A current loading, respectively. In the charging-discharging cycle test under −10 °C, the heating of CPCM could maintain the temperature of the battery module between 22 °C and 27 °C at 1 charging rate (C-rate) operation. At normal conditions, the cooling performance of CPCM was close to pure PW. However, the temperature uniformity of CPCM was poorer than that of PW, especially at high-temperature conditions due to the low thermal conductivity of MS and discontinuous distribution of RGO. This study provides a new design for PCM system with comprehensive performance of lightweight, temperature control for low and high temperatures, and leak-proof.

Three-dimensional FeNiP decorated graphene sponge: A novel flexible electrode for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitor

Here, a three-dimensional (3D) flexible material was prepared based on FeNiP decorated graphene sponge (GrS) by a two-step method. Free-standing 3D GrS was fabricated through a simple foaming-drying method, then FeNiP was electrodeposited onto flexible GrS material to achieve a flexible FeNiP/GrS sponge electrode for high-performance electrochemical supercapacitors. This composite material exhibited a high specific capacitance of 2292 F/g and 90% of the specific capacitance was retained after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles at a current density of 1 A/g. An asymmetric supercapacitor (FeNiP/GrS//GrS) was fabricated and this flexible circuit delivered a maximum power density of 6545 W/kg and a high energy density of 330 Wh/kg. This outstanding electrochemical performance could be attributed to the high charge conductivity of FeNiP and porous graphene sponge which provides good structure stability, large reaction surface area, and high electron transfer.

3D graphene sponge biomass-derived with high surface area applied as adsorbent for nitrophenols

The present work used wood sawdust as a carbon precursor to produce 3D graphene sponge material, a carbon material with an added value, successfully used as an adsorbent for removing o-nitrophenol and p-nitrophenol from aqueous effluents. The resulting material’s structural, morphological, textural, and chemical characteristics (WS-Graphene) were evaluated. Textural analysis revealed a high surface area (∼3000 m2g−1) and high total pore volume (1.38 cm3 g−1). Raman, infrared and X-ray diffraction techniques evidenced the presence of a few layers of graphene, with some fraction of defects. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the presence of a 3D-packed structure for the graphene. These WS-Graphene characteristics favored its application as an adsorbent for removing o-nitrophenol and p-nitrophenol pollutants. The adsorption process of both nitrophenols was extremely rapid and reached the equilibrium time in less than 5 min when the concentration of both adsorbates was fixed at 700 mg L−1. Furthermore, the maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) values were 1842 mg g−1 (o-nitrophenol) and 879.6 mg g−1 (p-nitrophenol) at 30 °C. These results confirm that the WS-Graphene adsorbent acts as a 3D sponge. Langmuir’s isothermal was the best-fitted model for both nitrophenols in aqueous solution. The o-nitrophenol adsorption onto WS-Graphene might follow pseudo-second-order as well as general-order, while the adsorption of p-nitrophenol might follow only the general-order model. Thermodynamic studies revealed a spontaneous and endothermic adsorption process. The WS-Graphene adsorbent presents a high percentage (∼97 %) of removing the mixture of pollutants in effluents, showing an excellent adsorption capacity and making it a potential material to remove industrial wastewater.

Design and synthesis of a MnCo-MOF modified flexible 3D graphene sponge electrode for an asymmetric supercapacitor with high power and energy density

Recently, 3D materials such as graphene sponges with metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have received a lot of attention as electrodes in energy storage devices.

Review on 2D MXene and graphene electrodes in capacitive deionization

The development of the electrochemical desalination technique for saline water by the capacitive deionization (CDI) process is progressing with ever-increasing interest. In the CDI technology, the saline water flows through the spacer sandwiched between the pair of electrodes, and the ions are captured and stored within electric double layers (EDLs) when a voltage between 0.5–2.0 V is applied. When the voltage is reversed or removed, adsorbed ions are released, and electrodes are regenerated. Carbon materials-based electrodes show effective, but limited electrosorption capacity as the ions are removed based on the EDL mechanism only. There is a demand for new advanced materials that can enhance the electrosorption performance of the CDI. The improvement can be achieved by involving other electrosorption mechanisms such as redox pseudocapacitance and intercalation pseudocapacitance mechanisms. Graphene is a 2D nanosheet material, it has a laminar structure and can be stacked up to form slip shape pores in the electrode and allow easy ion motions than other random porous materials. Graphene can also be prepared into a 3D graphene sponge as an interconnected framework. MXene is a new group of materials made of 2D transition metal nitrides, carbides, and carbonitrides. It has exhibited a significant pseudocapacitance behavior, outpacing the energy storage capacity of many other capacitive materials, particularly when normalizing to the electrode’s volume. This review discusses (1) the recent advances in graphene materials and their limitation for enhanced desalination performance and (2) the state-of-the-art art developments of MXene as an emerging material for CDI. • The recent advances and limitations of graphene and MXene as CDI electrodes. • Redox and ion intercalation pseudocapacitance mechanisms are employed in CDI. • Graphene nanosheets and 3D sponges have a laminar structure allowing easy ion motion. • MXene has exhibited an outstanding pseudocapacitance behaviour behavior as electrodes. • The state-of-the-art developments of MXene as an emerging CDI electrode materials.

Study on 3-dimensional graphene sponge reinforced C/C composites-TiAl alloy brazed joints

To address the large residual stress and brittle compounds formation issues when brazing C/C composites and the TiAl alloy, a 3-dimensional (3D) graphene sponge (GS) reinforced Ag-Cu based braze filler was adopted. Results show that the 3D GS can compete with Cu when reacting with Ti, which results in the formation of 3D network TiC strengthening phase instead of the large-area brittle Cu2Ti phase. The TiC phase with a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) can also help reduce the CTE mismatch between the Ag-Cu based braze filler and the C/C composites. The shear strength of the C/C-TiAl brazed joints increased by 40% after using a 3D GS reinforced braze filler. The effect of the GS thickness on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the brazed joints were studied. The possible strengthening mechanism of the C/C-TiAl brazed joints after using the 3D GS reinforced braze filler was discussed.

Adsorption and diffusion of methane and light gases in 3D nano-porous graphene sponge

ABSTRACT Advances in graphene assembly has shown that mechanically strong 3D nano-porous graphene sponge (NGS) can potentially be used for gas separation. The objectives of this computational study are to: (i) explore the use of NGS as adsorbent for separating light gases and light hydrocarbons from methane, and (ii) assess the potential of using NGS as a membrane for methane/ethane gas separation. A 3D nano-porous graphene sponge was constructed by reacting graphene flakes in the presence of inert non-reactive particles using Reactive Force Field (ReaxFF) molecular dynamics. We performed grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation to determine the adsorption capacity of NGS for methane, ethane, propane, butane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. In addition, GCMC simulations were performed on methane/ethane, methane/carbon dioxide, and nitrogen/methane gas mixtures to determine the selectivity for these gases on NGS. Our results show that graphene sponge has high selectivity for ethane over methane and methane over nitrogen. In addition, we obtained the diffusion coefficients of methane and ethane in NGS and estimated the perm-selectivity of ethane over methane. Because of its high solubility in graphene sponge, the perm-selectivity of ethane over methane is 4.76, despite its lower diffusion coefficient, suggesting that it could potentially be used as a membrane for separating ethane from methane.

A strategy to fabricate strength-ductility enhanced braze filler reinforced by 3-dimensional graphene sponge for joining C/C composites

To address the brittle compounds formation issue in the brazed seam, an innovative 3-dimensional (3D) graphene sponge (GS) was selected to integrate with a single AgCuTi braze, forming a composite braze filler to achieve an AgCu eutectic dominated brazed seam with almost no brittle compounds. Interfacial microstructure of the C/C-C/C (C/C: carbon fiber reinforced carbon composites) joints brazed with and without the 3D GS reinforced braze filler were put into comparison. In particular, the braze filler/GS interface was in-depth discussed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) combined with a high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Results show that a 53% increase in shear strength happened for the joints after using a 3D GS reinforced braze filler. The mechanical performance of the braze filler with and without the 3D GS reinforcement was characterized and discussed. Results show that the 3D GS reinforced braze filler is both mechanically stronger and more ductile compared with the original braze filler.

Confining Li2S6 catholyte in 3D graphene sponge with ultrahigh total pore volume and oxygen-containing groups for lithium-sulfur batteries

A three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide (3D rGO) sponge with an ultra-high specific pore volume of 6.4 cm3g-1 and oxygen-containing (e.g., carboxyl) groups finely tuned was designed, synthesized, and employed as an ideal host of Li2S6 catholyte and related compounds for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). To the best of our knowledge, the 3D rGO in this work exhibits the highest specific pore volume ever. The interconnected porous structure of 3D rGO can totally confine the lithium polysulfides overcoming the shuttle effect. Also, it can offer an excellent electrical conductivity and electrolyte transportation leading to high charge storage capacity. The as-fabricated LSB provides a high discharge capacity of 1607 mAh g−1 at 0.1C and a high areal capacity of 3.53 mAh cm−2. Even at a high sulfur loading content of 6.6 mg cm−2, high utilization (79.4%) of active materials at the 0.1C and low capacity fading rate of 0.065% per cycle at the 1.0C with 98% coulombic efficiency over 200 cycles are achieved. The 3D rGO sponge could be useful for high-energy battery applications.

High-rate aqueous/ionic liquid dual electrolyte supercapacitor using 3D graphene sponge with an ultrahigh pore volume

Non-traditional electrolytes like “water-in-salt” and dual electrolyte are emerging as promising electrolytes for next-generation energy storage devices. However, their low rate capability is a major obstacle for their extensive employment. Here, we achieve a high-rate aqueous/ionic liquid dual electrolyte supercapacitor using 3D interconnected graphene sponge with a high pore volume of 5.6 cm3 g−1. It delivers a high rate of 30 A g−1 and the maximum cell potential of 2.0 V. The maximum specific energy of 9.1 Wh kg−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and the specific power of 16.3 kW kg−1 at 30 A g−1 are achieved for the dual electrolyte. Excellent long-term stability of 85% is estimated for the applied cell potential of 2.0 V after 50,000 cycles at 5 A g−1. In situ gas analysis using differential electrochemical mass spectrometry identifies three gases (H2, CO2 and CO) at the critical cell potentials. The possible cell potential-limiting electrode in the full cell is identified by the type of gas evolved at the maximum cell potentials. This high-rate supercapacitor may be useful for high-power applications.

Fatty amines/graphene sponge form-stable phase change material composites with exceptionally high loading rates and energy density for thermal energy storage

The development of form-stable phase change materials (FSPCMs) with large latent heat, excellent thermal stability, and recyclability is essential for their practical applications for thermal or solar energy saving. Here, we first report the exploitation of fatty amines (FAs), in this case tetradecylamine (TDA) and octadecylamine (ODA), as novel organic phase change materials (PCMs) for fabrication of FSPCM composites with exceptional high energy density using porous 3D graphene sponge (GS) as porous supporting materials. The resulting fatty amines/graphene sponge composites (FAs/GS) show high latent heat of ranging from 293 kJ kg−1 to 303 kJ kg−1 and low supercooling degree of 7–9 °C. Surprisingly, it is found that the loading rate of these two FAs into GS is as high as 7063–10660 wt%, which is nearly three orders of magnitudes higher than that of most reported FSPCMs. In addition, compared with the FAs, the presence of GS results in an enhancement of thermal conductivity of FAs/GS. After 200 cycles of thermal cycling, the latent heat content of FAs/GS still remains as high as 93.34% (TDA/GS) and 93.83% (ODA/GS), implying an excellent thermal stability. Taking advantages of the merits mentioned above, the findings of this work would not only open a new way for exploiting the FAs as new high-performance organic PCMs, but also provide a possibility for construction of such FAs/GS with great potentials for real energy-saving applications based on their exceptional high energy density, low supercooling degree, unprecedented high loading value, excellent thermal stability and recycling capacity.

Highly Ordered 3D Porous Graphene Sponge for Wearable Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor Applications.

Wearable sensors with excellent flexibility and sensitivity have emerged as a promising field for healthcare, electronic skin, and so forth. Three-dimensional (3D) graphene sponges (GS) have emerged as high-performance piezoresistive sensors; however, problems, such as limited flexibility, high cost, and low sensitivity, remain. Meanwhile, device-level wearable pressure sensors with GS have rarely been demonstrated. In this work, highly ordered 3D porous graphene sponges (OPGSs) were first successfully prepared and controlled through an emulsion method, and then a device-level wearable pressure sensor with high flexibility and sensitivity was assembled with a gold electrode and polydimethylsiloxane into a reliable package. The pH values were carefully controlled to form a stable emulsion and the OPGSs showed a highly ordered 3D structure with ultralow density, high porosity, and conductivity; this resulted in a gauge factor of 0.79-1.46, with 50 % compression strain and excellent long-term reproducibility over 500 cycles of compression-relaxation. Moreover, the well-packaged pressure sensor devices exhibited ultrahigh sensitivity to detect human motions, such as wrist bending, elbow bending, finger bending, and palm flexing. Thus, the developed pressure sensors exhibited great potential in the fields of human-interactive applications, biomechanical systems, electronic skin, and so forth.

Polystyrene as Graphene Film and 3D Graphene Sponge Precursor.

Polystyrene as a thin film on arbitrary substrates or pellets form defective graphene/graphitic films or powders that can be dispersed in water and organic solvents. The materials were characterized by visible absorption, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron and atomic force microscopy, and electrochemistry. Raman spectra of these materials showed the presence of the expected 2D, G, and D peaks at 2750, 1590, and 1350 cm−1, respectively. The relative intensity of the G versus the D peak was taken as a quantitative indicator of the density of defects in the G layer.

Boron nitride‐graphene sponge as skeleton filled with epoxy resin for enhancing thermal conductivity and electrical insulation

3D Graphene sponge (GS) supported boron nitride (BN) skeleton (BN@GS) was fabricated through a facile method by using ammonium sulfide under mild conditions. Then, BN@GS sponge was infiltrated by epoxy resin to prepare the composites. The microstructures of BN@GS were controlled by adjusting the mass ratio of GS to BN and the dimension of BN to obtain thermally conductive but electrically insulating polymer composites. The thermal and electrical properties of composites were investigated and the results showed that thermal conductivity of composites reached 0.588 W m−1 K−1 at a low GS loading of 0.157 wt%, which was twice as large as the BN/epoxy composites without graphene. When the mass ratio of BN to GS was 60:1 and 100:1, the electrical conductivity of the resin composites corresponded to insulator region. The 3D continuous network of GS endowed the composites with enhanced thermal conductivity at a relatively low filler loading. In addition, the introduction of BN cut off the transmission of electrons which resulted in the composites with electrical insulation. The hybrid fillers were introduced to guarantee the enhanced thermal conductivity and electrical insulation at a relatively low filler loading. The thermal conductivity of the BN@GS/epoxy composites coincide well with the surface temperature variation of the BN@GS/epoxy composites acquired from an infrared camera. The mechanical properties of BN@GS/epoxy composites improved remarkably in comparison with pure epoxy resin. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E1600–E1611, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers

Elastic three-dimensional graphene sponge fabricated by the liquid crystals of controlled large graphene oxide sheets

Three-dimensional graphene (3DG) sponge has attracted increasing attention because it combines the unique properties of cellular materials and the excellent performance of graphene. Preparation of 3DG sponge depends mainly on the self-assembly of graphene oxide sheets. In the case of using uniform large graphene oxide and ultralarge graphene oxide sheets, the nematic liquid crystals (LCs) phases are formed at low concentration. After chemical reduction, the LCs of GO solution are converted to 3DG sponges with a high degree of orientation, offering a new methodology to regulate the controlled large GO sheets. The orientation of GO solution can be inherited by 3DG sponge, making the sponge to have a large-scale ordered network structure. The 3D elastic graphene sponges have low density and good elasticity, promising for the applications in strain sensing, shock damping, and energy cushioning. Our work explores a novel strategy for organizing the ordered alignment of controlled large GO sheets and exploring the relationship between the microstructures and mechanical properties of 3DG sponge.

Synthesis of popcorn-like α-Fe2O3/3D graphene sponge composites for excellent microwave absorption properties by a facile method

Popcorn-like α-Fe2O3/3D graphene sponge (α-F/3DGS) composites have been successfully fabricated by a novel and facile two-step synthetic route combining template-assisted preparation and co-precipitation method for microwave absorption application. The results show that the popcorn-like α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with an average diameter about 150–200 nm are uniformly encapsulated into the 3DGS exhibiting a porous microstructure with plenty of wrinkles. The composite displays the optimum microwave absorption properties with the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of − 55.7 dB and the maximum effective microwave absorption bandwidth up to 4.42 GHz (12.30–16.72 GHz) when the thicknesses are merely 1.4 and 1.7 mm, respectively, exhibiting greatly enhanced microwave absorption properties compared to those of some 2D graphene-based microwave absorbing materials. The excellent microwave absorption properties are attributed to the synergistic effect between dielectric loss and magnetic loss mechanism and improvement for the impedance matching behavior. This study paves a way for designing and fabricating lightweight and high performance microwave absorption materials based on 3D graphene composites.

Preparation of Graphene/Polymer Composite Sponge for Pressure-Sensing Application

The graphene/polymer composite sponge was prepared by self-assembly of water-soluble chloroprene on 3D graphene sponge and freeze drying. The composite sponge possesses 3D interconnected skeleton structure. This unique structure not only maintains the physical properties of graphene sponge, but also effectively transfers load from graphene sponge to polymer skeletons under compressive deformations. The composite sponge shows promising applications in pressure-sensing sensors.

Functionalized three-dimensional graphene sponges for highly efficient crude and diesel oil adsorption.

Modified Hummer's method has been used in this study to synthesize graphene oxide (GO) solution that was utilized for the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) graphene sponges and their subsequent functionalization through a low-cost and facile vapor-based surface enhancement approach. The functionalized 3D-graphene sponge is an excellent absorbent, which can remove more than 3300wt.% of crude oil (calculated with respect to the original sorbent mass). The functionalization of the obtained graphene sponges with trichloro (1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl)silane enhanced their wettability properties due to the super-hydrophobic nature of the resulting materials characterized by the contact angles in water greater than 150°. Furthermore, their elastic compression modulus (estimated by conducting a series of compression tests) was about 22.3kPa. The equilibrium modeling of the oil removal process, which was performed by plotting Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms, confirmed the properties of the fabricated 3D graphene sponges as exceptional absorbents for crude and diesel oil, which could be attributed to the oleophilic nature of graphene. Moreover, the obtained 3D graphene sponges could be regenerated via heat treatment, which was conducted to release the adsorbed species. After five adsorption-desorption cycles, the sorption capacity of the produced 3D graphene sponges towards crude oil reached 95% of the initial value.

SiOC nanolayer wrapped 3D interconnected graphene sponge as a high-performance anode for lithium ion batteries

A SiOC nanolayer wrapped 3D interconnected GNS conductive framework contributed to the best ever reported high-performance for SiOC-based anode materials.

High‐Efficiency and Low Distortion Photoacoustic Effect in 3D Graphene Sponge

AbstractThe conversion of light in sound plays a crucial role in spectroscopy, applied physics, and technology. In this paper, light‐sound conversion in 3D graphene sponge through a photo‐thermoacoustic mechanism is reported. It is shown that the unique combination of mechanical, optical, and thermodynamic properties of graphene assembled in a 3D sponge structure allows an unprecedented high efficiency conversion independent of light wavelength from infrared to ultraviolet. As a first application of this effect, a photothermal based graphene sponge loudspeaker is demonstrated, providing a full digital operation for frequencies from acoustic to ultrasound. The present results suggest a new pathway for light generation and control of sound and ultrasound signals potentially usable in a variety of new technological applications from high‐fidelity loudspeaker and radiation detectors to medical devices.