From greenhouse gas to 3-D surface-microporous graphene

said braka 11:28 PM
A material scientist at Michigan Technological University

invented a novel approach to take  dioxide and turn it into 3-D graphene with micropores across its surface. The process is the focus of a new study published in the American Chemical Society's Applied Materials & Interfaces.
The conversion of carbon dioxide to useful materials usually requires high energy input due to its ultrahigh stability. However,  science professor Yun Hang Hu and his research team created a heat-releasing reaction between carbon dioxide and sodium to synthesize 3-D surface-microporous graphene.
"3-D surface-microporous graphene is a brand-new material," Hu says, explaining the material's surface is pockmarked with micropores and folds into larger mesopores, which both increase the surface area available for adsorption of electrolyte ions. "It would be an excellent electrode material for energy storage devices."
Holey Supercapacitors
The supercapacitive properties of the unique structure of 3-D surface-microporous graphene make it suitable for elevators, buses, cranes and any application that requires a rapid charge/discharge cycle. Supercapacitors are an important type of energy storage device and have been widely used for regenerative braking systems in hybrid vehicles.
Basically, a  material needs to store—and release—a charge. The limiting factor is how quickly ions can move through the material.
Current commercialized supercapacitors employ activated carbon using swaths of micropores to provide efficient charge accumulation. However, electrolyte ions have difficulty diffusing into or through its deep micropores, increasing the charging time.


Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-08-greenhouse-gas-d-surface-microporous-graphene.html#jCp