IMPORTANT
Seminar Series
Dr. L. Salamanca-Ri, Professor, ME department, UMD
Friday, September 20, 2019 · 2:30 - 3:30 PM
Formation of Networks of Graphene Nanoribbons and Nanosheets in Metals by the Electrocharging Assisted Process
Dr. L. Salamanca-Riba
Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Abstract
The incorporation of carbon nanostructures, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, in the lattice of metals is desirable to take advantage of the superior mechanical and electrical properties of these graphitic nanostructures and the high density of electrons in metals. There have been numerous attempts to create composites of metals, such as copper and aluminum, with carbon nanostructures. These methods frequently require several steps and in aluminum produce the undesirable compound Al 4 C 3 which is detrimental to the electrical conductivity of the metal. We use electrocharging assisted process which consists of applying a high DC current of ~150 A to a mixture of the liquid metal and particles of activated carbon. This method not only crystallizes the carbon but also gives rise to the formation of graphene nanoribbons and nanosheets which organize into a 3D epitaxial structure with the metal. The graphitic structures bond with atoms in the metal making the composite very stable. The electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of these composites improve compared to the parent metal.
Funded by DOE EERE under contract number EE0008313
About the Speaker
Dr.
Lourdes Salamanca-Riba is a Professor in the
Materials Science and Engineering Department at the University of Maryland. Her
research is in the areas of nanomaterials, self-assembly in semiconductor
nanostructures, hybrid photovoltaics, solid oxide fuel cells and carbon
nanostructures in metals called covetics. Her research focus is on the
synthesis and characterization of materials using transmission electron
microscopy. She has a BS degree in Physics from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana
in Mexico City and a PhD degree also in Physics from MIT. She was a Senior Research Scientist at the GM
Research Laboratory in Warren, MI prior to becoming a faculty member at the
University of Maryland. Professor
Salamanca-Riba is a member of the Materials Research Society, American Physical
Society and the Microscopy Society of America.