In this study, we present a new class of monolithic mesoporous carbonaceous materials produced via the carbonisation of a mesoporous starch aerogel highly doped with graphite. Consecutive ball milling, microwave assisted gelation and carbonization treatment produced a high concentration of dispersed graphite. These treatments induce a strong interaction between the graphite particles and the developing carbonaceous matrix, including partial delamination of graphite and the merging of the nanoflakes into the carbonaceous structure. From a combination of SEM and TEM it was found that the graphite particles reduced in size to 24 and 37 nm, matching the pore wall sizes of the produced materials. From XRD, ball milling and heating helped reduce the number of graphene layers by 40%, with presence within the porous starch matrix reducing this a further 13%. The high degree of graphite dispersion/incorporation induces a pronounced increase in conductivity, and excellent capacitance retention, in excess of 10 000 charge–discharge cycles, offering a cost efficient and sustainably produced alternative to activated carbon based EDLCs and importantly, the resultant monolithic structures mitigate the need for additional binders.

中文翻译：

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单片介孔石墨复合材料作为超级电容器：从Starbons到Starenes® †

在这项研究中，我们提出了一种新的整体式介孔碳质材料，该材料通过高度掺杂石墨的介孔淀粉气凝胶的碳化。连续球磨，微波辅助胶凝和碳化处理产生了高浓度的分散石墨。这些处理引起石墨颗粒与正在形成的碳质基质之间的强相互作用，包括石墨的部分分层和纳米薄片合并到碳质结构中。从SEM和TEM的组合，发现石墨颗粒的尺寸减小到24和37nm，与所生产材料的孔壁尺寸匹配。通过XRD，球磨和加热有助于将石墨烯层的数量减少40％，而多孔淀粉基质中的存在又将石墨烯层的数量减少了13％。