Graphene material-metal nanocomposites and processes of making and using same
Graphene material-metal nanocomposites having a metal core with one or more graphene material layers disposed on the metal core. The nanocomposites may be formed by contacting metal nanowires and one or more graphene material and/or graphene material precursor in a dispersion. The nanocomposites may be used for form inks for coating or printing conductive elements or as conductors in various articles of manufacture. An article of manufacture may be an electrical device or an electronic device.
1 . A process of making a graphene material-metal nanocomposite comprising:
forming a layer of graphene material and/or graphene-precursor material on at least a portion of a surface of or all of the surfaces of metal nanowires, comprising forming a dispersion of a metal powder or a metal precursor and a graphene material and/or graphene-precursor material, wherein the forming the dispersion comprises:
dispersing the metal powder or the metal precursor in a first dispersant, and
dispersing the graphene material and/or graphene-precursor material in a second dispersant,
adding the metal precursor dispersion to the graphene material or graphene-precursor material dispersion; and
aligning the metal nanowires via hot pressing, wherein the aligning is performed at a temperature of about 300° C. to about 1000° C. and/or the aligning is when 80% or more of a dimension of individual metal cores in the nanocomposite are within 5 degrees or less of a dimension of the aligned nanocomposite; and
optionally, calcining the metal nanowires comprising a layer of graphene-precursor material, wherein the graphene material-metal nanocomposite is formed.
2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the forming a layer of graphene material and/or graphene-precursor material on at least a portion of a surface of or all of the surfaces of metal nanowires comprises:
forming a dispersion of metal nanowires and the graphene material and/or graphene-precursor material, wherein the forming a dispersion of metal nanowires and the graphene material and/or graphene-precursor material comprises:
dispersing metal nanowires in a dispersant; and
dispersing graphene material or graphene-precursor material in a dispersant, and
adding the metal nanowire dispersion to the graphene material or graphene-precursor material dispersion, and
the metal nanowires are present at 95 to 99 wt. % (based on the total weight of metal nanowires and graphene material and/or graphene-precursor material) in the dispersion and the graphene material or graphene-precursor material is present at 1 to 5 wt. % (based on the total weight of metal nanowires and graphene material and/or graphene-precursor material) in the dispersion, wherein the dispersant of the dispersion is water, a C 1 to C 6 alcohol, or a combination thereof and the metal nanowires are chosen from copper nanowires, aluminum nanowires, copper alloy wires, and combinations thereof.
3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the dispersion further comprises one or more water-soluble primary amine; the metal powder is copper powder, aluminum powder, a copper alloy powder, or a combination thereof and the metal precursor is an aluminum precursor powder or a copper precursor powder, and, optionally, one or more powders chosen from nickel precursor powders, manganese precursor powders, zinc precursor powders, and combinations thereof; and the metal powder or metal precursor is present at 95 to 99 wt. % (based on the total weight of metal powder or a metal precursor and graphene material) in the dispersion and the graphene material is present at 1 to 5 wt. % (based on the total weight of metal powder or a metal precursor and graphene material) in the dispersion and the first dispersant and second dispersant are independently water, a C 1 to C 6 alcohol, or a combination thereof.
4 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising isolating the nanocomposite.
5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the graphene material is graphene, reduced graphene, graphene oxide, exfoliated graphene sheets, exfoliated reduced graphene sheets, or exfoliated graphene oxide sheets, or a combination thereof.
6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the graphene-precursor material is a molecule.
7 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising forming an ink comprising the nanocomposite, and, optionally, forming a film from the ink.
8 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising calcining the nanocomposite, wherein the calcining is performed out at a temperature of 625 to 1110 K.
9 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising forming a pellet comprising the nanocomposite, forming a wire from the pellet, and the forming the wire comprises extruding the pellet.
10 . A process of making a graphene material-metal nanocomposite comprising:
forming a layer of graphene material and/or graphene-precursor material on at least a portion of a surface of or all of the surfaces of metal nanowires; and
aligning the metal nanowires via hot pressing, wherein the aligning is performed at a temperature of about 300° C. to about 1000° C. and/or the aligning is when 80% or more of a dimension of individual metal cores in the nanocomposite are within 5 degrees or less of a dimension of the aligned nanocomposite; and
optionally, calcining the metal nanowires comprising a layer of graphene-precursor material,
wherein the graphene material-metal nanocomposite is formed.