Graphene is a carbon-based material. It is incredibly light and strong. The material is also very thin: graphene is a one atom thick form of graphite and has many useful properties relating to strength, flexibility and conductivity. Developments with graphene have been regularly covered on the Digital Journal’s science pages.
The properties of graphene can be enhanced, according to new research. This is through something akin to crumpling sheets of the nanomaterial, according to Brown University scientists.
Here the researchers have shown how graphene, when wrinkled and crumpled, alters to become better at repelling water. This function could turn out to be useful for the creation of self-cleaning surfaces. Tests showed that when water comes into contact with a hydrophobic surface, it beads up and rolls off.
In addition, it appears that crumpled graphene has improved electrochemical properties. This outcome could assist with the manufacture of electrodes for a new generation of improved batteries and fuel cells. Trials found that crumpled graphene has a 400 percent better electrochemical current density compared with flat graphene sheets.
The researchers explain this by stating: “Multigenerational graphene oxide architectures can be programmed by specific sequences of mechanical deformations.”
With this, each successive deformation leads to a progressively larger set of features, which are decorated by smaller pre-existing patterns. These architectures have super-hydrophobic (that is, water repelling) properties. To add to this, the crumpled form of graphene has good functionality when used as the basis of electrochemical electrodes.
The research is published in the journal Advanced Materials. The paper is titled “Multiscale Graphene Topographies Programmed by Sequential Mechanical Deformation.”
As an example of the application of graphene, the carbon material has been integrated with silicon micro-electromechanical systems (termed MEMS) to create a new generation of night vision devices.
