Graphene-based desiccant offers super dry solution to moisture control

A new graphene-based desiccant could one day eliminate footwear odours and control moisture in applications ranging from electronics, packaging and air conditioning.

Made from graphene oxide, the new super desiccant is claimed to significantly outperform current drying agents and is twice as absorbent as silica gel.

The material was developed by a team led by Dr Rakesh Joshi of the UNSW Sydney School of Materials Science and Engineering, and a study outlining its performance in laboratory tests is published in Chemical Science.

"This is a stable new material that shows significant gains in adsorption capacity over conventional desiccants," said Dr Joshi. "One novel application we are investigating is the integration of the desiccant into inner soles of shoes to control odour and moisture. As the moisture could be released back into the atmosphere using an ordinary household device like a warm oven, shoes could be recharged regularly to keep them constantly fresh."