Super-elastic graphene oxide foams

Partner with us to accelerate the development of graphene oxide foams, through licensing or direct investment. Graphene oxide foams offer commercial appeal as a potential alternative to graphene.

The technology

Highly porous graphene oxide foams are produced using a new fabrication method. They can sustain loads more than 50,000 times their own weight, over 1000 loading cycles. This facilitates their broad commercial application.

Market need

Graphene is a tough, flexible and light material that conducts heat and light. It can be used for conductors, composites, sensors, coatings and catalysts.

Manufacturing processes cannot mass-produce graphene materials in an efficient and cost-effective way. This means that the commercial adoption of graphene is limited.

Graphene oxide has lower manufacturing costs, and higher stability and functionality. This makes graphene oxide a potential alternative to graphene. However, there is a need to address the brittleness of graphene oxide materials.

Technology status

University of Melbourne researchers have completed proof-of-concept studies of graphene oxide foams. These studies show improved physical properties of graphene oxide foams compared to graphene oxide. The foams are flexible and ultra-light. They also have high sensitivity to pressures applied over a broad range of frequencies.

The University is looking for a partner to exploit these properties. Possible uses include medical sensors, separation membranes, and for bioengineering applications.

The University has filed a patent application. The application details the composition and structure of the graphene oxide foams, and the method to produce them.

Contact

Shereen Tan

Email tan.s@unimelb.edu.au

Phone +61 3 8344 2538

Graphene oxide foams flyer (PDF).