Conductive inks based on carbon nanomaterials for the preparation of electrodes applied to electrochemical devices

Abstract

This project aims the preparation of conductive inks based on aqueous dispersions of graphene and carbon nanotubes, deposition of these inks by different methods to the fabrication of electrodes and evaluation of the electrochemical performance of those electrodes. Conductive inks will be prepared by procedures without passivant agents, functionalization or sonication treatments, which are adapted from recent reports and are at the frontier of the preparation routes for dispersions of carbon materials. For comparison, it will be prepared other dispersions with the same materials using aqueous solutions of passivant agent or using organic solvents without passivants. These inks and electrodes prepared will be characterized by different microscopies and spectroscopies and the electrochemical activity of these electrodes will be correlated with the deposited material, dispersion type (solvent, passivation, viscosity, stability), deposition method and with the nanostructuring at electrode surface. These studies will allow the preparation of conductive inks that produce electrodes with controlled properties such as high sensibility and selectivity, for the development of sensors and biosensors, and with high capacity of charge storage or with high charge/discharge rates. (AU)