Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Thermally reduced graphene oxide using atmospheric pressure tube furnace for microsupercapacitor applications

Thesis (PhD (Physics))--University of Pretoria, 2022.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Other Authors: Manyala, Ncholu I.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2022
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613523110002688
access_status_str Open Access
author2 Manyala, Ncholu I.
author_browse Manyala, Ncholu I.
author_facet Manyala, Ncholu I.
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2022 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Thesis (PhD (Physics))--University of Pretoria, 2022.
format Thesis
id oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/86193
institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:37:29.889Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2022
publishDateRange 2022
publishDateSort 2022
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/86193 Thermally reduced graphene oxide using atmospheric pressure tube furnace for microsupercapacitor applications Manyala, Ncholu I. vusanimuswamaphiri@gmail.com Maphiri, Vusani Muswa Thermal reduction Energy storage Supercapacitor Microsupercapacitor Graphene oxide UCTD Thesis (PhD (Physics))--University of Pretoria, 2022. This work is divided into two parts, namely supercapacitor (SC) and microsupercapacitor (µ-SC). In general, the electrochemical properties of thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) were investigated for both SC and µ-SC energy storage applications. The TRGO materials was successfully prepared via a series of techniques which mainly involved oxidation of graphite using Hummer’s method and the reduction of the oxygen functional groups (OFGs) on graphene oxide (GO) using atmosphere pressure chemical vapour deposition (AP-CVD) in argon atmosphere. The structural, morphological and electrical characterization of substrate (Nickel foam (NF) and microscopic glass (MSG)), prepared GO and TRGO were done using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrometer, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) and four point probe (4PP). In the SC part, TRGO-200 (numeric at the end of TRGO is the reducing temperature (RT)) was directly reduced on NF (current collector) using AP – CVD. This novel method avoided the use of binders such as polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and conductive additives such as carbon nanotube and carbon acetylene black (CAB). This method is also simpler, quicker, cheaper and more effective compared to the conventional electrode preparation route where GO can be thermally reduced separately then prepared into a slurry paste with the aid of PVDF, CAB and drops of N-methyl-2-pyrolidone (NMP). The three electrode electrochemical measurements in 6 M KOH showed a maximum specific capacity of 52.64 mA h g-1 at 0.5 A g-1, while the asymmetric device consisting of TRGO on NF and peanut shell activated carbon (PAC) i.e., TRGO/NF//PAC showed a specific energy and power of 18.72 W h kg-1 and 547.52 W kg-1 respectively at 1 A g-1; and 14.10 W h kg-1 and 2.5 kW kg-1 at 5 Ag-1. The high coulombic efficiency of 99% and capacitance retention of 80% was achieved indicating an outstanding stability, suggesting a significant progress in the fabrication of binder- less and conductive enhancement free electrodes for SC energy storage devices. On the µ-SC part, a novel all – solid – state TRGO µ-SCs fabrication method was demonstrated which was simply prepared by an airbrush spray coater, AP – CVD and a mask – free AxiDraw sketching apparatus. Similar to the SC electrode preparation, this method was also quick, safe, easily scalable and cost effective as compared to the traditional µ-SC preparation method such as screen printing, inkjet printing, laser scribing and photolithography. The structure of TRGO on MSG was analysed using various techniques which indicated a decrease in oxygen functional groups (OFGs), leading to the restacking, and change of colour and transparency of the graphene sheets. The electrochemical performance showed a rectangular shape cyclic voltammetry (CV) depicting outstanding characteristics of electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) behaviour. The µ-SC with 14 digits per unit area (cm-2) showed the highest capacitance over other µ-SCs with various numbers of digits per unit area i.e. 6, 22 and 26 cm-2. This behaviour is mainly attributed to increased electric field strength as compared to the µ-SC with 6 cm-2. When the number of digits per unit area exceeds 14 cm-2 the electric field increase leading to the charge flow leakage within the electrolyte and electrode (short circuit) decreasing the capacitance. In addition, this work clearly shows the importance of OFGs on the electrochemical performance of the SCs and µ-SCs, also narrating that binder-less and conductive additive-free devices can also deliver energy and power comparable to those with binder and conductive enhancement. NRF-SARChI Grant no. 61056 Physics PhD (Physics) Unrestricted 2022-07-14T14:05:58Z 2022-07-14T14:05:58Z 2022-09 2022-04 Thesis Maphiri, VM 2022, Thermally reduced graphene oxide using atmospheric pressure tube furnace for microsupercapacitor applications, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria S2022 https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/86193 https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.20291337 en © 2022 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Thermal reduction
Energy storage
Supercapacitor
Microsupercapacitor
Graphene oxide
UCTD
Thermally reduced graphene oxide using atmospheric pressure tube furnace for microsupercapacitor applications
title Thermally reduced graphene oxide using atmospheric pressure tube furnace for microsupercapacitor applications
title_full Thermally reduced graphene oxide using atmospheric pressure tube furnace for microsupercapacitor applications
title_fullStr Thermally reduced graphene oxide using atmospheric pressure tube furnace for microsupercapacitor applications
title_full_unstemmed Thermally reduced graphene oxide using atmospheric pressure tube furnace for microsupercapacitor applications
title_short Thermally reduced graphene oxide using atmospheric pressure tube furnace for microsupercapacitor applications
title_sort thermally reduced graphene oxide using atmospheric pressure tube furnace for microsupercapacitor applications
topic Thermal reduction
Energy storage
Supercapacitor
Microsupercapacitor
Graphene oxide
UCTD
url https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/86193
https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.20291337