Process for producing a material comprising graphene and/or graphite on a matrix, and materials prepared therefrom

Process for the preparation of a material comprising graphene and/or graphite on a matrix, said process being selected from:

• process A, comprising the steps of:
• contacting a carbon-containing material, and optionally a catalyst, with a matrix;
• and
• thermally treating at a temperature above 550° C. to induce graphitization and produce a graphitized carbon;
• wherein said thermal treatment step comprises in situ generation of hydrogen (H2);
• wherein said process is carried out in the presence of restricted air and excludes injection of additional hydrogen or inert gas;
• wherein said matrix is a material that does not react or decompose when exposed to the thermal treatment conditions;
• and
• wherein said process does not include a chemical pre-treatment of the carbon-containing material and/or chemical post-treatment of the obtained graphene and/or graphite;
• and
• process B, comprising the steps of:
• (a) preparing a solution containing a carbohydrate source as a carbon-containing material, and optionally a catalyst, in a solvent (such as an aqueous solvent, e.g. water):
• (b) contacting the solution from (a) with a matrix to obtain a mixture or coating on the matrix;
• (c) optionally drying the mixture or coating at a temperature of at least 100° C.;
• and
• (d) thermally treating at a temperature above 550° C. to induce graphitization and produce a graphitized carbon:
• wherein said thermal treatment step (d) comprises in situ generation of hydrogen (H2):
• wherein said process is carried out in the presence of restricted air and excludes injection of additional hydrogen or inert gas:
• wherein said matrix is a material that does not react or decompose when exposed to the conditions of the process;
• and
• wherein said process does not include a chemical pre-treatment of the carbohydrate source and/or chemical post-treatment of the obtained graphene and/or graphite.