Three-Dimensional Bicontinuous Graphene Monolith from Polymer Templates

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Two-dimensional graphene offers excellent properties but suffers from aggregation.
• Restoring graphene's properties in bulk forms is a significant challenge.
• Developing scalable methods for 3D graphene structures is crucial for applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a three-dimensional (3D), bicontinuous graphene monolith.
• To utilize a versatile hollow nickel template for graphene synthesis.
• To evaluate the performance of the fabricated graphene monolith in supercapacitor devices.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a bicontinuous gyroid polymer template via phase separation of poly(styrene)/poly(ethylene oxide).
• Creation of a hollow nickel template through electroless metal deposition and polymer removal.
• Synthesis of graphene using chemical vapor deposition on the nickel template.
• Assembly of binder-free supercapacitor electrodes using the resulting graphene monolith.

Main Results:

• A highly porous (95.2%) hollow nickel template was successfully created.
• A free-standing, bicontinuous graphene monolith was produced via a high-throughput process.
• Supercapacitor devices utilizing the graphene monolith as binder-free electrodes demonstrated excellent stability.

Conclusions:

• The developed method enables the scalable production of 3D bicontinuous graphene monoliths.
• The fabricated graphene monoliths are suitable for high-performance binder-free electrode applications.
• The study highlights a promising route for advanced energy storage materials.