Three-dimensional graphene enhanced heat conduction of porous crystals

Abstract

We present functionalized three-dimensional graphene as a promising thermal additive to increase the effective thermal conductivity of porous crystal adsorbents. Due to the percolation and high porosity of three-dimensional graphene, the thermal conductivity of the adsorbent-graphene composite was enhanced up to 500 % with a minimal reduction in adsorption capacity of approximately 2 %. The functionalization demonstrated to be an effective way to implement a hydrophobic carbon network with hydrophilic porous crystals. The functionalized three-dimensional graphene can be applicable to numerous types of porous crystals including zeolites and metal organic frameworks to overcome their intrinsic low thermal conductivity. This work provides insights for the development of binders for enhanced thermal performance of porous materials in various adsorption systems.