Graphene macro-assembly-fullerene composite for electrical energy storage
Disclosed here is a method for producing a graphene macro-assembly (GMA)-fullerene composite, comprising providing a mixture of graphene oxide and water, adding a hydroxylated fullerene to the mixture, and forming a gel of the hydroxylated fullerene and the mixture. Also described are a GMA-fullerene composite produced, an electrode comprising the GMA-fullerene composite, and a supercapacitor comprising the electrode.
1. A method for producing a graphene macro-assembly (GMA)-fullerene composite, comprising:
providing graphene oxide;
adding a hydroxylated fullerene compound to the graphene oxide; and
performing a gelation process using the graphene oxide and the hydroxylated fullerene.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the graphene oxide comprises providing a water suspension of graphene oxide.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the water suspension of graphene oxide comprises a mixture of at least about 7 mg of graphene oxide in 1 ml of water.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxylated fullerene compound comprises a C 60 hydroxylated fullerene, a C 70 hydroxylated fullerene, or a C 100 hydroxylated fullerene.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding the hydroxylated fullerene compound comprises adding about 5 mg of water soluble C 60 (OH) 42 to the graphene oxide, the graphene oxide comprising a mixture of about 20 mg of graphene oxide in 1 ml of water.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sonicating the hydroxylated fullerene and the graphene oxide.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding, to about 1 g of a suspension formed from the hydroxylated fullerene compound and the graphene oxide, about 211 μL of ammonium hydroxide solution to form a mixture, wherein performing the gelation process comprises performing the gelation process using the mixture.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the gelation process comprises performing the gelation process at about 80° C. for about 72 hours.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the gelation process provides a graphene oxide-fullerene compound aerogel, the method further comprising drying and carbonizing the graphene oxide-fullerene compound aerogel.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein carbonizing the graphene oxide-fullerene compound aerogel comprising carbonizing the graphene oxide-fullerene compound aerogel at about 700° C.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising performing at least one acetone wash of the graphene oxide-fullerene compound aerogel prior to drying the graphene oxide-fullerene compound aerogel.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the GMA-fullerene composite comprises at least 25 weight percent of fullerene.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the gelation process comprises covalently bonding the hydroxylated fullerene compound with graphene sheets formed from the graphene oxide.
14. A GMA-fullerene composite produced using the method of claim 1 , wherein the composite comprises at least one fullerene compound covalently connected to at least one graphene sheet via at least one conjugated linker, and wherein the composite has a mesopore volume of at least 0.2 cm 3 /g.
15. A supercapacitor comprising an electrode comprising the GMA-fullerene composite of claim 14 .
16. The GMA-fullerene composite of claim 14 , wherein the composite has an electrical conductivity of at least about 10 S/m.
17. The GMA-fullerene composite of claim 14 , wherein the mesopore volume is between 0.2 cm 3 /g and about 5 cm 3 /g.
18. The GMA-fullerene composite of claim 14 , wherein the composite has an electrical conductivity of about 10 S/m to about 1000 S/m.
19. The GMA-fullerene composite of claim 14 , wherein the composite has a Young's modulus of at least 10 MPA.