Production of graphene materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021108317-A1
Application number	US-201816956533-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 22, 2017
Publication date	Apr 15, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods for the production in an electrochemical cell of metal oxide deposited graphene and/or graphite nanoplatelet structures having a thickness of less than 100 nm, in a cell having a positive electrode which is graphitic and an electrolyte comprising an intercalating anion and a metal cation, wherein the metal is selected from ruthenium, manganese, iridium, tin, and silver. The methods comprising the step of passing a current through the cell to intercalate anions into the graphitic positive electrode so as to exfoliate the graphitic positive electrode and such that the metal ion undergoes electrodeposition in the form of the corresponding metal oxide to produce the metal oxide deposited graphene and/or graphite nanoplatelet structures.

First claim

1 . A method for the production in an electrochemical cell of metal oxide deposited graphene and/or graphite nanoplatelet structures having a thickness of less than 100 nm, wherein the cell comprises:
(a) a positive electrode which is graphitic; (b) a negative electrode; and (c) an electrolyte comprising an intercalating anion and a metal cation, wherein the metal is selected from ruthenium, manganese, iridium, tin, and silver; and wherein the method comprises the step of passing a current through the cell to intercalate anions into the graphitic positive electrode so as to exfoliate the graphitic positive electrode and such that the metal ion undergoes electrodeposition in the form of the corresponding metal oxide to produce the metal oxide deposited graphene and/or graphite nanoplatelet structures.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said metal cation is selected from ruthenium, manganese and iridium; optionally selected from ruthenium and iridium.

3 . The method of any preceding claim, wherein more than one metal cation is used so as to produce mixed-metal oxide deposited graphene and/or graphite nanoplatelet structures.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein ruthenium and manganese are used.

5 . The method of any preceding claim, wherein the intercalating anion is sulfate.

6 . A composition comprising graphene and/or graphite nanoplatelet structures, wherein said graphene and/or graphite nanoplatelet structures have metal oxide nanostructures deposited on the basal surface.

7 . The composition of claim 6 , wherein the metal oxide is selected from ruthenium oxide, manganese oxide, iridium oxide, tin oxide, and silver oxide.

8 . The composition of claim 6 or claim 7 , wherein the metal oxide is selected from ruthenium oxide, manganese oxide and iridium oxide; optionally selected from ruthenium oxide and iridium oxide.

9 . The composition of any of claims 6 to 8 , wherein more than one metal oxide is deposited;
optionally wherein the metal oxides are ruthenium oxide and manganese oxide.

10 . The composition or method of any preceding claim, wherein the metal oxide deposited graphene and/or graphite nanoplatelet structures having a thickness of less than 100 nm is substantially free of graphene oxide.

11 . A supercapacitor having an electrode comprising a composition according to any one of claims 6 to 10 .

12 . The supercapacitor of claim 11 , wherein the electrode comprises metal oxide deposited graphene and/or graphite nanoplatelet structures having a thickness of less than 100 nm, wherein the metal oxide comprises ruthenium oxide.

13 . The supercapacitor of claim 12 , wherein the electrode comprises metal oxide deposited graphene and/or graphite nanoplatelet structures having a thickness of less than 100 nm, wherein the metal oxide comprises ruthenium oxide and manganese oxide.

14 . The supercapacitor of claim 12 or claim 13 , wherein the cell has an electrolyte comprising diethylmethylammonium bisulfate; optionally wherein the electrolyte is a solution of diethylmethyl-ammonium bisulfate in acetonitrile.

15 . Use of diethylmethylammonium bisulfate as or in an electrolyte in an electrochemical cell; optionally wherein the electrochemical cell is a supercapacitor.

Assignees

• Univ Manchester

Inventors

• Ejigu Andinet
• Dryfe Robert A W
• Kinloch Ian A

Classifications

• Y02E60/13

  Energy storage using capacitors · CPC title

• C25B11/04

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• C25B1/135 Primary

  Carbon · CPC title

• H01G11/36 Primary

  Nanostructures, e.g. nanofibres, nanotubes or fullerenes · CPC title

• H01G11/46

  Metal oxides · CPC title