Graphene oxide caves give supercapacitors a boost

Could graphene sheets perform better than active charcoal in supercapacitor electrodes? Researchers from IRIG collaborated with two CNRS* research teams to find out. And the answer they came up with is yes—but only if you use reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in which nanometric alkanes are used as interlayer spacers.

The alkanes serve as molecular pillars that prevent the rGO layers from clumping back together, a phenomenon that would drastically reduce the surface available for the adsorption of ions, as well as the material’s storage properties. The researchers optimized the density of these pillars to ensure the free circulation of ions in the caves formed in between the graphene layers. The volume capacity of this modified rGO is four times that of conventional rGO.

*Cirimat (Toulouse) and IMN (Nantes)

Contact: florence.duclairoir@cea.fr

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