Graphene based adsorbents for electrochemical applications.

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The nobel prize for physics in 2010 was awarded to Professors Geim and Novoselov at the University of Manchester for the isolation and characterisation of graphene, a unique two dimensional carbon material only one atom thick. This material has unusual properties with many potential applications such as touch screens and solar panels. In this project we are aiming to exploit the chemical characteristics of graphene for water treatment, batteries and fuel cells. Recent work has shown that graphene surfaces can selectively remove toxic contaminants in water, which may enable the removal of problem pollutants. For example, there has been increasing concern over the presence of 'endocrine disrupting compounds', which can affect the hormone systems in animals including humans. These compounds are found increasingly in wastewater and in water supplies, arising from waste chemicals and human waste due to the use of pharmaceuticals. Graphene based materials have the potential to selectively remove these compounds from wastewater or water supplies. Furthermore, it may be possible to destroy the contaminants on the graphene surface by a low energy electrical treatment, enabling the repeated reuse of the materials. Moreover, graphene membranes that are inexpensive and have high conductivity have been developed. Conductive membranes are a key component in energy conversion systems such as batteries and fuel cells. The use of graphene membranes may enable cost effective scale-up of innovative battery technologies for storage of electrical energy, enhancing the flexibility of electricity supply networks and improving the viability of renewable energy generation such as wind and solar power. In addition, graphene materials have been found to have high catalytic activity, which may enhance the efficiency or enable the replacement of precious metal catalysts in battery and fuel cell systems.