Synthesis and characterization of ammonia strengthened and ambient dried N-doped hydrophilic graphene aerogel with good electrical conductivity

Xiong, Feng; Wang, Jiabin; Dickman, Neville; Liu, Yujing; Hunt, Michael R.C.; Šiller, Lidija

Abstract

We present a novel ‘one-pot’ approach for strengthening reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hydrogels by nitrogen doping. Ammonia is directly added to the precursor reaction mixture prior to hydrothermal gel formation, as opposed to treating as-synthesised rGO hydrogel by ammonia in a second hydrothermal process. This process ensures that the resulting hydrogels are sufficiently robust that aerogels may then be produced by natural drying under ambient temperture and pressure. The as-formed rGO aerogel possesses a Young's modulus as high as 28 kPa and exhibits superelasticity, withstanding strains of up to 95 %. Moreover, the strengthed graphene aerogel possesses an electrical conductivity of up to 1.5 S cm−1 and a specific surface area of 280.0 m2 g−1. Although the rGO aerogel was sufficiently reduced to provide good electrical conductivity, it retains a water contact angle of 47 ± 1°, indicating hydrophilic behaviour.

Citation

Xiong, F., Wang, J., Dickman, N., Liu, Y., Hunt, M. R., & Šiller, L. (2025). Synthesis and characterization of ammonia strengthened and ambient dried N-doped hydrophilic graphene aerogel with good electrical conductivity. Vacuum, 232, Article 113846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vacuum.2024.113846

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 19, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Nov 20, 2024
• Publication Date: 2025-02
• Deposit Date: Jan 3, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 20, 2025
• Journal: Vacuum
• Print ISSN: 0042-207X
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-2715
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 232
• Article Number: 113846
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vacuum.2024.113846
• Keywords: Graphene aerogel; Graphene oxide; Hydrothermal synthesis; Electrical conductivity; Ambient pressure drying
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3319352