Hello – this is a stunning
idea. That graphene is nearly magical is
already obvious and three dimensional work was surely indicated. The problem is clarified here. It had to have a problem!
Thus we now discover that
graphene and water produces an equivalent to the best battery technology. It will take effort to put it together I am
sure but somehow I suspect that graphene in battery technology is not too far
away.
This also reminds me of the
nature of clay and its many odd behaviors.
Graphite + water = the future of energy storage
15 July 2011
A combination of two ordinary materials – graphite and water – could
produce energy storage systems that perform on par with lithium ion batteries,
but recharge in a matter of seconds and have an almost indefinite lifespan.
Dr Dan Li, of the Monash University Department of Materials
Engineering, and his research team have been working with a material called
graphene, which could form the basis of the next generation of ultrafast energy
storage systems.
“Once we can properly manipulate this material, your iPhone, for example,
could charge in a few seconds, or possibly faster.” said Dr Li.
Graphene is the result of breaking down graphite, a cheap, readily
available material commonly used in pencils, into layers one atom thick. In
this form, it has remarkable properties.
Graphene is strong, chemically stable, an excellent conductor of
electricity and, importantly, has an extremely high surface area.
Dr Li said these qualities make graphene highly suitable for energy
storage applications.
“The reason graphene isn’t being used everywhere is that these very
thin sheets, when stacked into a usable macrostructure, immediately bond
together, reforming graphite. When graphene restacks, most of the surface area
is lost and it doesn’t behave like graphene anymore.”
Now, Dr Li and his team have discovered the key to maintaining the
remarkable properties of separate graphene sheets: water. Keeping graphene
moist – in gel form – provides repulsive forces between the sheets and prevents
re-stacking, making it ready for real-world application.
“The technique is very simple and can easily be scaled up. When we
discovered it, we thought it was unbelievable. We’re taking two basic,
inexpensive materials – water and graphite – and making this new nanomaterial
with amazing properties,” said Dr Li.
When used in energy devices, graphene gel significantly outperforms
current carbon-based technology, both in terms of the amount of charge stored
and how fast the charges can be delivered.
Dr Li said the benefits of developing this new nanotechnology extend
beyond consumer electronics.
“High-speed, reliable and cost-effective energy storage systems are
critical for the future viability of electricity from renewable resources.
These systems are also the key to large-scale adoption of electrical vehicles.
“Graphene gel is also showing promise for use in water purification
membranes, biomedical devices and sensors.”
Dr Li has been working with graphene since 2006 and his team’s research
findings have recently been published in a number of prestigious journals
including Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie and Chemical Communications.
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