Nano-graphite functionalized mesocellular carbon foam with enhanced intra-penetrating electrical percolation networks for high performance electrochemical energy storage electrode materials​

Mesocellular carbon foam (MSU-F-C) is functionalized with hollow nanographite by a simple solution-phase method to enhance the intrapenetrating electrical percolation network. The electrical conductivity of the resulting material, denoted as MSU-F-C-G, is increased by a factor of 20.5 compared with the pristine MSU-F-C. Hollow graphite nanoparticles are well-dispersed in mesocellular carbon foam, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the d spacing of the (002) planes is 0.343 nm, which is only slightly larger than that of pure graphite (0.335 nm), suggesting a random combination of graphitic and turbostratic stacking. After nanographitic functionalization, the BET surface area and total pore volume decreased from 928 m2 g−1 and 1.5 cm3 g−1 to 394 m2 g−1 and 0.7 cm3 g−1, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis in air shows that the thermal stability of MSU-F-C-G is improved relative …​