Combining Electrical Conductivity and Microporousity

Researchers from Zewail City, Center for Materials Science led by Dr Mohamed Alkordi and in collaboration with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany), has recently published their findings on a novel pathway to enhance electrical conductivity of a particular family of microporous solids in the American Chemical Society journal of ACS Applied Materials Interfaces (January 2019)

The team demonstrated that the novel approach they described allows for facile construction of the metal organic frameworks ( from their precursor components directly on grapheme nanoplates in the synthesis solution.  A well known prototypal MOF, commonly known as HKUST 1 which demonstrated insulating behavior (electrical conductivity of 3 10 9 S/m) was compounded through this approach with the electrically conductive grapheme.

ACS Appl . Mater. Interfaces,
Article DOI: 10.1021 / 8 b 20951

HKUST 1 @G composite:

  • High surface area (>1000 m2 /g)
  • High electrical conductivity (0.64 S/m)
  • Degree of conductivity controlled by G content
  • Moldable to different forms and shapes
  • Various applications: electrochemical catalysis, supercapacitors and sensors

 

Thearticle was recently featured in the Arabic edition of the popular science magazine, Scientific American