Graphene aerogel is a new type of material that has many amazing properties. It’s so light, in fact, that it can be suspended in an open jar of water without sinking to the bottom! It also conducts electricity well and is very strong. You can make graphene aerogel by submerging three-dimensional polymeric support in an aqueous solution of graphene oxide and reducing the size of the graphene sheets to less than 100 nm.
There are a large number of applications that graphene aerogel can be used for such as bio-electronics, air and water filtration, chemical sensing devices, etc.
It has a very high surface area which allows it to interact with liquids and gases.
Graphene aerogel also possesses the ability to adsorb different chemicals from water or other solutions including antimicrobial substances, antibiotics, etc., as well as heavy metals such as uranium due to its unique composition.
How to Create Graphene Aerogel Step by Step Guide
Graphene is a thin sheet of carbon that’s just one atom thick. This material has many properties such as conducting electricity, repelling water, and being extremely strong when in its dry form. Graphene aerogel is the name given to this amazing substance when it becomes 99% air and includes nearly negligible amounts of liquid.
Things you need to create graphene aerogel
250 ml beaker or glass container
200 grams of sodium polyacrylate powder
500 ml water in a spray bottle, distilled is best but not required. You could also use deionized water
200 ml of 91% isopropyl alcohol or 99% ethyl alcohol, both will work. Do not use 70%, it won’t evaporate fast enough
It’s important to note that the process typically takes at least two days so plan ahead! You can purchase sodium polyacrylate on Amazon
Step One
Create the Sodium Polyacrylate Solution
This step is straightforward; fill your beaker or glass container with 200 grams of sodium polyacrylate powder and add 500 ml of water. Mix thoroughly until there are no clumps remaining. Then, pour this solution into a spray bottle
Step TwoÂ
Create the Graphene Aerogel Solution
In a clean beaker or glass container, mix 200 ml of 91% isopropyl alcohol or 99% ethyl alcohol with 500 ml of distilled water. Mix well and pour into another spray bottle. Make sure to label this one
Step Three
Creating Graphene Aerogel at Home
This step is extremely time-consuming and requires you to spray the sodium polyacrylate solution until it becomes a thick gel. Once this has been achieved, gently add some of your graphene aerogel solutions by spraying into the mixture while stirring constantly
The process of adding graphene aerogel solution must be repeated until the sodium polyacrylate gel is completely white and no longer translucent. Once this has been achieved, place your container in a warm area for 24 hours to help evaporate all liquid from the mixture. Afterward, place it by an open window or a fan
Step Four
Removing Graphene Aerogel from the Container & Using It
Depending on what container you used, this step could be difficult. If your container has been sealed with some sort of lid, it will need to remain closed for 24 hours before being opened carefully so as not to disturb the graphene aerogel
Once the container has been opened, use caution when removing it from its packaging. Due to how lightweight and delicate graphene aerogel is at this point, you will need to handle it with extreme care or else risk damaging it completely.
What are the Properties of Graphene Aerogel?
Graphene aerogel is also known as the two-dimensional (or monolayer) graphene. It has a built-in high surface area which makes it a highly porous and lightweight material. The combination of these properties makes this substance very unique. Graphene aerogel possesses many other interesting properties due to its strong chemical stability and high thermal conductivity as well as some other unique properties such as its hydrophobic nature which makes it a great candidate for many different applications.
This substance is also known to have very low density along with an interesting property called super compression capability. Due to these two factors, graphene aerogel possesses certain properties such as high stability under harsh conditions and can be used to create very strong support structures.
Graphene aerogel is also known to be highly water repellent which makes it an excellent candidate for applications such as self-cleaning surfaces and anti-fouling materials. It can also absorb a very high amount of oil spills in comparison with most other substances and can reduce oil spills by 90%.
Graphene aerogel can also be used in applications such as supercapacitors and batteries due to its ability to store a large amount of energy in a small volume. It is also very high thermal conductive, which makes it an excellent candidate for many different heating devices.
How is Pure Graphene Made?
Pure graphene is made by a process called chemical vapor deposition (CVD). CVD involves using methane gas, hydrogen gas, and heat in order to produce large sheets of pure carbon. This method can create very high-quality material, but it is very expensive.
Graphene can also be created by filling a balloon with graphene oxide and then smashing the balloon against something- this breaks off flakes of graphene. These flakes are collected and reduced in size to form pure graphene powder or film. This method creates lower quality material than CVD, but it is much cheaper.
Another way to make graphene is through the use of a substrate upon which single-layer graphene can grow. This process uses crystalline silicon carbide as the substrate material and naturally occurring scotch tape in order to create high-quality graphene.
Graphene aerogel is a revolutionary new material that has been tested to be both highly transparent and strong. It is capable of being an excellent insulator, which could make it the perfect product for use in smart windows or insulation panels. The next time you find yourself looking for a lightweight, durable solution with high heat capacity – consider graphene aerogel!Â