Kumamoto University’s research team, led by Assistant Professor Kazuto Hatakeyama and Professor Shintaro Ida of Institute of Industrial Nanomaterials, has announced a groundbreaking development in hydrogen ion barrier movies using graphene oxide (GO) that lacks internal pores. This progressive approach guarantees significant advancements in protective coatings for various applications.
Of their study, the research team successfully synthesized and developed a skinny film from a brand new type of graphene oxide that doesn’t contain pores. Traditionally, GO has been known for its high ionic conductivity, which made it difficult to make use of as an ion barrier. Nonetheless, by eliminating the interior pores, the team created a fabric with dramatically improved hydrogen ion barrier properties.
The brand new graphene oxide film exhibits as much as 100,000 times higher hydrogen ion barrier performance compared to traditional GO movies, based on the AC impedance spectroscopy ‘s out-of-plane proton conductivity result. This breakthrough has also been demonstrated through experiments where the non-porous graphene oxide coating effectively protected lithium foil from water droplets, stopping any response between the lithium and the water.
The study also confirmed that hydrogen ions move through the pores in conventional GO, highlighting the importance of eliminating these pores to reinforce barrier capabilities. This advancement opens doors to recent applications in protective coatings, rust prevention, and hydrogen infrastructure.
This research marks a major advance in materials science and will pave the way in which for next-generation coatings with enhanced protective properties. “Moving forward, we plan to harness the hydrogen ion barrier performance for practical applications, while also addressing the challenges posed by the ‘pores’ within the GO structure to unlock additional functionalities,” explained Assistant Professor Hatakeyama as he outlined the following steps in his research.
