Thermal transport in three-dimensional foam architectures of few-layer graphene and ultrathin graphite

Nano Lett. 2012 Jun 13;12(6):2959-64. doi: 10.1021/nl300662q. Epub 2012 May 25.

Abstract

At a very low solid concentration of 0.45 ± 0.09 vol %, the room-temperature thermal conductivity (κ(GF)) of freestanding graphene-based foams (GF), comprised of few-layer graphene (FLG) and ultrathin graphite (UG) synthesized through the use of methane chemical vapor deposition on reticulated nickel foams, was increased from 0.26 to 1.7 W m(-1) K(-1) after the etchant for the sacrificial nickel support was changed from an aggressive hydrochloric acid solution to a slow ammonium persulfate etchant. In addition, κ(GF) showed a quadratic dependence on temperature between 11 and 75 K and peaked at about 150 K, where the solid thermal conductivity (κ(G)) of the FLG and UG constituents reached about 1600 W m(-1) K(-1), revealing the benefit of eliminating internal contact thermal resistance in the continuous GF structure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Energy Transfer
  • Gases / chemistry*
  • Graphite / chemistry*
  • Hot Temperature
  • Materials Testing
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Particle Size
  • Thermal Conductivity

Substances

  • Gases
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Graphite