Electrochemical method for the production of graphene composites and cell for conducting the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11242250-B2
Application number	US-201716337113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2017
Priority date	Sep 28, 2016
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A method of making an electrically conductive composite includes applying graphene oxide ( 27 ) to at least one non-conductive porous substrate ( 25 ) and then reducing the graphene oxide ( 27 ) to graphene via an electrochemical reaction. An electrochemical cell ( 10 ) for causing a reaction that produces an electrically conductive composite includes a first electrode ( 13 ), a second electrode ( 15 ), an ion conductive medium ( 17 ), electrical current in communication with the first electrode, and an optional third electrode having a known electrode potential. The first electrode ( 13 ) contains at least one layered electrocatalyst, which includes at least one non-conductive porous substrate ( 25 ) coated with graphene oxide ( 27 ) and at least a first and second active metal layer ( 29 a, 29 b ) comprising a conductive metal in contact with the non-conductive porous substrate ( 25 ) coated with graphene oxide ( 27 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochemical cell for causing a reaction that produces an electrically conductive composite, the electrochemical cell comprising:
a first electrode comprising at least one layered electrocatalyst, wherein the at least one layered electrocatalyst comprises:
at least one non-conductive porous substrate coated with graphene oxide;
at least a first and a second active metal layer comprising a conductive metal in contact with the at least one non-conductive porous substrate coated with graphene oxide;

a second electrode comprising a conductor;
an ion conductive medium;
electrical current in communication with the first electrode; and
optionally, a third electrode having a known electrode potential,
wherein the first and second active metal layers are in electronic communication with the ion conductive medium.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-conductive porous substrate is a fabric, an article of clothing, a paper, a polymer membrane, a polymer film, a glass, a wood, cotton, or a fibrous material.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the ion conductive medium has an acidic or a neutral pH.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the ion conductive medium has a basic pH.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the ion conductive medium is an aqueous solution of sodium chloride.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the third electrode is an Ag/AgCl electrode.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , further comprising a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode.

8. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the ion conductive medium comprises organic solvents or ionic liquids.

9. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the ion conductive medium comprises an electrolytic gel.

10. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 , wherein the electrolytic gel comprises a polymer component selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylic acid, a polyacrylate, a polymethacrylate, a polyacrylamide, and a mixture thereof.

11. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the graphene oxide has a thickness of about 0.8 nm to about 50 nm.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein a loading of the graphene oxide coated on the at least one non-conductive porous substrate is between 0.1 mg/cm2 and 1 mg/cm2.

Assignees

• Univ Ohio

Inventors

• Botte Gerardine G
• Wang Dan

Classifications

• C25B11/04

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• C25B1/00 Primary

  Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals · CPC title

• C01B32/184 Primary

  Preparation · CPC title

• C25B11/03

  perforated or foraminous · CPC title

• C25B11/077

  the compound being a non-noble metal oxide · CPC title