Flexiphene™ ships in a stable, processable nanocarbon form. After deposition, it can be thermally or chemically reduced to restore near-pristine graphene conductivity. This two-stage approach combines excellent handling characteristics with the performance ceiling of fully reduced nanocarbon — a ceiling that standard pre-reduced dispersions can't reach because they've sacrificed processability to get there.
Processable nanocarbon and fully reduced nanocarbon represent a processing paradox: the processable form disperses and integrates easily but has lower conductivity due to sp³ defects from functional groups. The fully reduced form has much higher conductivity but is difficult to disperse — it tends to restack and aggregate once functional groups are removed. Flexiphene™ resolves this paradox.
Flexiphene™ in its delivered form (stable, processable nanocarbon state) is stable, processable, and easy to integrate into films, coatings, and polymer matrices. Flexiphene™'s functional groups maintain dispersion stability without surfactants and provide interfacial bonding sites.
After deposition or integration into the matrix, the nanocarbon component is reduced (thermally at 200–300°C, or chemically with hydrazine, ascorbic acid, or hydrogen iodide). This removes oxygen-containing groups and restores the sp² π-electron system — dramatically increasing conductivity.
During reduction, the CNT component maintains the 3D network architecture established during deposition. The nanotube component acts as a scaffold that prevents the reduced nanocarbon from restacking during the reduction step — solving the classic problem of film densification that reduces porosity and accessible surface area.
The resulting network achieves near-pristine graphene conductivity — not in isolated measurements, but in practical film and electrode applications where network topology determines performance.
Thermal reduction: 200–300°C under inert atmosphere or vacuum. Chemical reduction: ascorbic acid (safe, aqueous), hydrazine vapor, or hydrogen iodide (HI). Photochemical and electrochemical reduction are also possible. Our team recommends the optimal conditions for your specific substrate and application.
Not every application requires reduction. The as-deposited Flexiphene™ film already delivers 0.09 MΩ resistance and 50 µF capacitance — validated by NASA JPL. Reduction is an option for applications demanding maximum conductivity, not a requirement for performance that already exceeds industry standards.
Request a free sample kit and the full technical datasheet. Evaluate Flexiphene™ against your current dispersion — with ASTM-standard protocols and our materials scientists on call.