Thin metal coating methods for high conductivity graphane-metal composites and methods of manufacture

A graphane-metal composite comprising:

• a porous metal foam substrate;
• a graphane layer deposited to the porous metal foam substrate, the porous metal foam substrate and graphane being compressed to form a graphane-metal composite;
• and
• a thin metal coating deposited on an outer surface of the graphane-metal composite using any of physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition.

A method for manufacturing a graphane-metal composite comprising:

• depositing a layer of graphane onto a porous metal foam substrate;
• applying a layer of metal on top of the layer of graphane;
• depositing another layer of graphane onto the layer of metal;
• compressing the porous metal foam substrate and the layer of metal and the additional layer of graphane to form a multilayered graphane-metal composite;
• placing the multilayered graphane-metal composite in a vacuum chamber;
• vaporizing a target metal or alloy;
• and
• allowing the vaporized target metal or alloy to deposit on an outer surface of the multilayered graphane-metal composite.