GRAPHENE SPONGESTEAM NETHERLANDS

GRAYTON GIESMAN, NICK GROSENBACHER, JOSEPH NEMEC

BACKGROUND

• Graphene is a material made of carbon atoms in sheet form.1

• It is so thin that it is often considered two-dimensional.

• It is “widely cited as the strongest material ever created on a per-weight basis, but it also has incredibly high electrical conductivity.”1 (extremetech.com)

From source 1

1 Templeton, Graham. (2015) What Is Graphene?, extremetech.com

SIGNIFICANCE

• Graphene’s small size but strong conductivity open many doors for electronic industries.

• It’s incredibly strong, but still flexible.

From source 1

1 1 Templeton, Graham. (2015) What Is Graphene?, extremetech.com

WHY ARE GRAPHENE SPONGES EFFECTIVE?

• Sponges are hydrophilic and oleophilic2,3

• They cannot separate organics from water

• The rGO coating makes sponges hydrophobic and oleophilic2,3

• Organic components absorbed, water left behind!

From source 4

2 Liu, Y, et al. (2013) Cost-effective Reduced Graphene Oxide-Coated Polyurethane Sponge As a Highly Efficient and Reusable Oil-Absorbent.

3 Tjandra, Ricky, et al. (2015) Introduction of an Enhanced Binding of Reduced Graphene Oxide to Polyurethane Sponge for Oil Absorption.

4 Li, Beibei, et al. (2015) Oil-absorbent Polyurethane Sponge Coated with KH-570-modified Graphene.

PROCESS OF CREATING A GRAPHENE SPONGE

• Very cutting edge

• Most efficient method is the subject of many recent research articles2,3,4

• Room for improvement

1. Create Graphene - Hummer’s Method2,3,4

2. Apply to sponges by suspending in graphene

and then baking them.

3. Best apparent method so far2:

a) Graphene oxide -> soak in solution of coupling agent -> reduce with NaHCO3 and hydrazine

2 Liu, Y, et al. (2013) Cost-effective Reduced Graphene Oxide-Coated Polyurethane Sponge As a Highly Efficient and Reusable Oil-Absorbent.

3 Tjandra, Ricky, et al. (2015) Introduction of an Enhanced Binding of Reduced Graphene Oxide to Polyurethane Sponge for Oil Absorption.

4 Li, Beibei, et al. (2015) Oil-absorbent Polyurethane Sponge Coated with KH-570-modified Graphene.

From source 2

CURRENT CHALLENGES

• Up until very recently, graphene production was small and costly.1,5

• It also has a slight issue with electronics, as it has no gaps that make adjusting current easy.5

• This makes it unviable for solar energy production5

1 Templeton, Graham. (2015) What Is Graphene?, extremetech.com

5 Bi, Hengchang, et al. (2012) Spongy Graphene as a Highly Efficient and Recyclable Sorbent for Oils and Organic Solvents.

FUTURE USES/IMPROVEMENTS

• Graphene has a myriad of uses ranging from medicine to electrical components to use as a structural material1

• Graphene sponges can be tailored to selectively absorb different organic material6

• potential uses include cleaning up oil and chemical spills, purifying water, quick chemical identification, and filtration.

1 Templeton, Graham. (2015) What Is Graphene?, extremetech.com

6 Bi, Hengchang, et al. (2012) Spongy Graphene as a Highly Efficient and Recyclable Sorbent for Oils and Organic Solvents.