Looking for flexible porous electrically conducting material

[Irony]

For a research project I'm looking for a material to use as a robust substrate onto which I will apply a polymer. The ideal material would be flexible (or at least not brittle), porous to water and dissolved ions, relatively smooth and uniform (so that an even film of polymer can be cast onto its surface) and most importantly, electrically conductive.

I was thinking along the lines of some sort of carbonised or graphitic material, though I'm open to other ideas as well.

Any suggestions appreciated!

 

[Zypheros_Knight]

For a research project I'm looking for a material to use as a robust substrate onto which I will apply a polymer. The ideal material would be flexible (or at least not brittle), porous to water and dissolved ions, relatively smooth and uniform (so that an even film of polymer can be cast onto its surface) and most importantly, electrically conductive.

I was thinking along the lines of some sort of carbonised or graphitic material, though I'm open to other ideas as well.

Any suggestions appreciated!

Graphene? (you said any suggestions) It conducts electricity, is smooth, flexible, don't remember the other properties right now (sorry).

 

[berkeman]

For a research project I'm looking for a material to use as a robust substrate onto which I will apply a polymer. The ideal material would be flexible (or at least not brittle), porous to water and dissolved ions, relatively smooth and uniform (so that an even film of polymer can be cast onto its surface) and most importantly, electrically conductive.

I was thinking along the lines of some sort of carbonised or graphitic material, though I'm open to other ideas as well.

Any suggestions appreciated!

How about just starting with ESD anti-static foam? It's not real conductive (100kOhm/square?), but it might be available in different conductivity ranges...

http://image.made-in-china.com/43f34j00pZPEGSHdnKbl/Antistatic-Foam-ESD-IXPE-Foams-Packing-Foam.jpg

 

[Irony]

Graphene? (you said any suggestions) It conducts electricity, is smooth, flexible, don't remember the other properties right now (sorry).

Yes, I've considered graphene and it sounds like amazing stuff with many of the properties I want. It is really expensive, though!

 

[Nidum]

microporous aluminium/copper/beryllium copper/stainless steel .

 

[Zypheros_Knight]

Yes, I've considered graphene and it sounds like amazing stuff with many of the properties I want. It is really expensive, though!

You can make it, just get some graphite oxide solution, apply on PET substrate and reduce it with a flash from a flash-lamp, peel off layers of graphene from the PET. Its easy really! For the flash-lamp use the flash on cameras they are pretty much the same thing!

 

[greg92629]

Alum or copper metal foam? High surface area, flexible if thin, highly conductive.

 

[MalcolmB]

Try thin carbon fibre cloth. I used to use it for making electrodes for simple electrophoresis.