We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to browse this site you agree to our use of cookies. More info.

A paper published in the Accounts of Chemical Research reported basic findings on the dry compressibility of holey graphene along with mechanistic analyses using atomistic models that rationalized this peculiar characteristic of holey graphene.

Study: Scalable Dry-Pressed Electrodes Based on Holey Graphene . Image Credit: Rost9/Shutterstock.com

Holey graphene belongs to a class of structural derivatives of graphene, having arrays of through-thickness holes with nanoscale diameters that are sporadically dispersed throughout the graphene nanosheet surfaces.

Graphene is a revolutionary material that has the potential to develop new industries as well as replace current materials and technologies.

Despite having a thickness of a single atomic layer, graphene is chemically stable, much stronger than steel, has a large specific area, and shows excellent thermal and electrical conductivity.

Advancements in graphene research are having a significant impact on the domains of transportation, healthcare, electronics, and energy storage.

Graphene sheets having regulated thickness and large widths can be produced using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and mechanical exfoliation techniques.

For uses that necessitate large quantities of materials like battery electrodes and composite fillers, graphene is usually produced by subjecting natural graphite to oxidative exfoliation. This process generates graphene oxide (GO), which is then converted into graphene via thermal or chemical reduction.

Surface defects are common in graphene derived from GO, which is not a disadvantage as these surface defects can create possibilities for future chemical transformations.

Graphene sheet functionalization generally implies the addition of an organic moiety and inorganic materials or heteroatomic doping.

Holey graphene is a structural variant of graphene. For making holey graphene, sets of carbon atoms are stripped from the surface of a graphene sheet rather than adding more moieties or particles. This creates an arrangement of holes while maintaining the two-dimensional structure of holey graphene.

At first glance, it may seem that the holes make the sheet of holey graphene more "defective." This is not necessarily true, as the holes are created by inherent defect areas in the original graphene material.

If the hole formation mechanism is mild enough, the residual carbon structure retains its graphitic characteristics, as shown by negligible differences in experimental observations of the mechanical and electrical properties of holey graphene.

The existence of nanoscale holes in the large lateral region of two-dimensional holey graphene sheets results in unique functionalities.

An improved through-thickness mass transfer and, consequently, greater accessibility of the graphene surface area in the nanosheet stacks is a good example.

This property is particularly useful in energy storage systems, where holey graphene is utilized as the electrode material while the holes serve as easy passageways for different ions and electrolytic molecules.

There should be a clear understanding of the difference between the holes on holey graphene sheets and the traditionally described pores in carbon nanostructures and high-porosity graphene assemblies.

The holes are inherently present in the two-dimensional holey graphene nanosheet structure, whereas the pores are gaps and voids among neighboring graphitic surfaces.

Graphene is a highly appealing conductive component in electrodes for numerous energy storage applications.

As holey graphene is a structural variant of graphene with superior characteristics, it has naturally evolved into a more sophisticated substitute for graphene in these applications.

Being a structural derivative of graphene, holey graphene exhibits a holey pattern which results in a negligible rise in defects but much-enhanced characteristics, particularly with respect to through-sheet mass transfer.

This property is quite relevant in energy storage applications, wherein decreased ion tortuosity results in significantly improved performance.

The porous character of holey graphene makes it possible for the dry powder to be compressed into composite structures or compact monoliths having electrochemically active fillers which may be employed directly as battery electrodes or supercapacitors.

Using a binder- and solvent-free dry-press technique with holey graphene allows for the facile production of electrodes with large mass loadings and a high areal capacity needed for use in practical battery systems.

In contrast, the traditional slurry-based electrode production method is time-taking and may cause environmental problems, as well as considerable difficulties in improving the active material mass loading.

In most situations, holey graphene functions as a structural scaffolding with binder-like qualities in dry-pressed electrodes and as a conducting additive.

With scalable fabrication processes available, holey graphene could be a highly attractive carbon material choice for potential battery electrodes with high energy densities, providing benefits in manufacturing as well as performance.

More from AZoNano: Nanotechnology and Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Lin, Y., Plaza-Rivera, C. O., Hu, L., & Connell, J. W. (2022). Scalable Dry-Pressed Electrodes Based on Holey Graphene. Accounts of Chemical Research. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.2c00457

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.

Shaheer is a graduate of Aerospace Engineering from the Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad. He has carried out research on a wide range of subjects including Aerospace Instruments and Sensors, Computational Dynamics, Aerospace Structures and Materials, Optimization Techniques, Robotics, and Clean Energy. He has been working as a freelance consultant in Aerospace Engineering for the past year. Technical Writing has always been a strong suit of Shaheer's. He has excelled at whatever he has attempted, from winning accolades on the international stage in match competitions to winning local writing competitions. Shaheer loves cars. From following Formula 1 and reading up on automotive journalism to racing in go-karts himself, his life revolves around cars. He is passionate about his sports and makes sure to always spare time for them. Squash, football, cricket, tennis, and racing are the hobbies he loves to spend his time in.

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

Rehan, Shaheer. (2022, October 05). Dry Compressibility of Holey Graphene. AZoNano. Retrieved on October 08, 2022 from https://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=39756.

Rehan, Shaheer. "Dry Compressibility of Holey Graphene". AZoNano. 08 October 2022. <https://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=39756>.

Rehan, Shaheer. "Dry Compressibility of Holey Graphene". AZoNano. https://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=39756. (accessed October 08, 2022).

Rehan, Shaheer. 2022. Dry Compressibility of Holey Graphene. AZoNano, viewed 08 October 2022, https://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=39756.

Do you have a review, update or anything you would like to add to this news story?

In this interview, AZoNano speaks with Professor Andre Nel about his involvement in innovative research describing the development of a 'glass bubble' nanocarrier that could help drug formulations access pancreatic cancer cells.

In this interview, AZoNano speaks with Jingang Li from the University of California, Berkley, who offers an introduction to the Nobel Prize-winning technology, Optical Tweezers.

In this interview, we speak with SkyWater Technology about the current state of the semiconductor industry, how nanotechnology has helped to shape this sector, and their new partnership which aims to increase the accessibility of semiconductor chips for start-ups and research groups across the Unite

NMR spectroscopy is a characterization technique that is extensively used by chemical researchers.

Inoveno’s PE-550 is a best-selling electrospinning/spraying machine that can be used for the continuous production of nanofibers.

The Filmetrics R54 advanced sheet resistance mapping tool for semiconductor and compound semiconductor wafers.

AZoNano.com - An AZoNetwork Site

Owned and operated by AZoNetwork, © 2000-2022