3D Graphene (3DG) is a unique form of graphene that is microporous, electrically conductive, and chemically stable making it an ideal electrode material for electrochemical energy storage devices. Conventional methods of 3DG production have practical limitations such as procedural complexity, high cost, limited feedstock availability, low mass yield of carbon product, and/or inferior quality of the 3DG.

NETL’s invention provides a simple and economical method of producing high-quality 3DG that relies on the graphenization of commercially available coal tar or petroleum pitch feedstocks with a potassium carbonate (K2CO3) catalyst using a thermal process. Key characteristics of the resultant 3DG include high specific surface area, hierarchical pore distribution, and substantial electrical conductivity for electron transfer. As such, it increases specific capacitance by 47-53%, areal capacitance by ~53%, and gravimetric energy density by 46-50%. Further enhancing the cost-effectiveness of this method is that, after processing, the K2CO3 catalyst can be recovered, regenerated, and reused (> 10 cycles), without affecting material quality.