The Application of Graphene as a Support for Cathode Materials of Metal-Air Batteries

Abstract

Graphene was compared with carbon black as a conducting and catalyst-supporting material of cathodes. A single-support electrode using carbon black and binary-support electrode using carbon black and graphene were prepared. The conductivity of the electrode using graphene was measured by the standard four-probe DC measurement. As the content of graphene in the electrode was increased, the conductivity of the electrode improved. The adoption of graphene helps in the formation of a mesopore structured electrode, and it makes the catalyst widely dispersed and increases the number of reaction sites of the catalyst. As a result of leaner sweep voltammetry (LSV), the binary-support electrode using carbon black and graphene showed improved oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) compared with the single-support electrode. We concluded that graphene affected the conductivity of the electrode and the ORR characteristics as a support material. (c) 2012 The Japan Society of Applied Physics