3D graphene aerogels

A Spanish research group has developed graphene aerogels with ultra-low density, large microporosity, high electrical conductivity values and high porosity. They are suitable for a wide range of applications in different areas, especially on electrochemical devices, as electrode materials for electrochemical devices such as supercapacitors, batteries, fuel cells and sensors. Companies in these fields are sought to develop applications of the described invention under license agreements.

The design of materials with tailored chemical and physical characteristics has rapidly grown in the recent years. Several research studies have been focused on synthetic carbonaceous materials because their structural, morphological, thermal and electrical properties can be eventually controlled during the synthesis procedure. This characteristic has allowed the development of a wide variety of materials, i.e. carbon aerogels, with specific applications, such as catalytic supports, thermal insulators, chemical adsorbents and energy storage materials. The most remarkable characteristic of carbon aerogels is that their porous properties can be customized depending on the experimental conditions used during the synthesis process, such as pH, type of catalyst, concentration, temperature, etc. However, currently existing carbon aerogels don’t have high porosity and high electrical conductivity simultaneously, since these properties are generally opposite. On the other hand, two-dimensional (2D) graphene materials have excellent conductivity values, but their low or no porosity prevents their use in various electrochemical devices where porosity also plays a fundamental role. Researchers from a Spanish university and a research institute have developed three-dimensional (3D) graphene aerogels, which exhibit ultra-low density, large macroporosity and high electrical conductivity values. Said 3D graphene aerogels with controlled porosity and high electrical conductivity are extremely attractive for their application in several fields, especially as electrode materials for electrochemical devices such as supercapacitors, batteries, fuel cells and sensors. The invention also refers to an electrode for electrochemical devices comprising said 3D graphene aerogels. The researchers would like to reach license agreements with companies operating in the above-mentioned fields with the aim to develop applications of the described technology.