The Carbon Technology Materials Research Group, based at the University of Pretoria (UP), is currently undertaking tests using the Bio-Logic VMP 300 multichannel Potentiostat/Galvanostat (PGSTAT).

Testing is being done under leadership of Prof Ncholu
Manyala, who heads the group and holds the South African Research Chairs Initiative’s Carbon Technology and Materials Chair. The group is involved in carbon nanomaterials research with specific applications in areas of energy storage, high performance composites, nanocomposites, electrospinning and chemical sensor technologies.

“Our research activities focus on the materials science and engineering of these technologies to meet future energy demands. The main energy technology focus of the lab is the supercapacitor mostly studied with the use of the Bio-Logic VMP-300 multichannel PGSTAT with EIS boards,” said Prof Manyala. The group works on various forms of carbons materials including two and three dimensional, nanostructured electrode materials for the next generation of supercapacitor electrodes.

The most commonly used material in the laboratory is graphene with focus on the chemical vapour deposition growth of graphene as well as its characterisation, chemical functionalisation and applications in areas such as energy storage. LMS