Methods of fabricating laser-induced graphene and compositions thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12012336-B2
Application number	US-202117516430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2021
Priority date	Nov 6, 2016
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

Methods that expand the properties of laser-induced graphene (LIG) and the resulting LIG having the expanded properties. Methods of fabricating laser-induced graphene from materials, which range from natural, renewable precursors (such as cloth or paper) to high performance polymers (like Kevlar). With multiple lasing, however, highly conductive PEI-based LIG could be obtained using both multiple pass and defocus methods. The resulting laser-induced graphene can be used, inter alia, in electronic devices, as antifouling surfaces, in water treatment technology, in membranes, and in electronics on paper and food Such methods include fabrication of LIG in controlled atmospheres, such that, for example, superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic LIG surfaces can be obtained. Such methods further include fabricating laser-induced graphene by multiple lasing of carbon precursors. Such methods further include direct 3D printing of graphene materials from carbon precurors. Application of such LIG include oil/water separation, liquid or gas separations using polymer membranes, anti-icing, microsupercapacitors, supercapacitors, water splitting catalysts, sensors, and flexible electronics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising irradiating a material comprising an aromatic polysulfone with a laser to form laser-induced graphene on the surface of the material comprising the aromatic polysulfone, wherein the laser-induced graphene is a porous graphene foam structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic polysulfone is selected from a group consisting of polysulfone, polyethersulfone, and polyphenylsulfone.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of separating the laser-induced graphene from the material.

4. A method of treating a surface prone to the formation of biofilm, wherein the method comprises
(a) applying a carbon precursor onto the surface to form a carbon precursor-coated surface; and
(b) laser-irradiating the carbon precursors-coated surface to form graphene thereon the surface, wherein the graphene is laser-induced graphene and the laser-induced graphene is a porous graphene foam structure.

5. A method of utilizing laser-induced graphene, wherein the method comprises:
(i) obtaining the laser-induced graphene, wherein the laser-induced graphene is a porous graphene foam structure; and
(ii) incorporating the laser-induced graphene into n a process selected from a group consisting of
(a) coating the inside of a pipe with the laser-induced graphene,
(b) degrading organic or inorganic pollutants with the laser-induced graphene,
(c) making a membrane water treatment equipment component, wherein the membrane water treatment equipment component comprises the laser-induced graphene,
(d) making a medical apparatus component, wherein the medical apparatus component comprises the laser-induced graphene, and
(e) combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the process comprises the degrading the organic or inorganic pollutants in which the process comprises oxidizing organic contaminants by applying electrical voltage to the laser-induced graphene.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein
(i) the process comprises making the membrane water treatment equipment component, and
(ii) the membrane water treatment equipment component is selected from a group consisting of a membrane spacer operable for adsorption of pollutants, laser-induced graphene attached to a substrate, laser-induced graphene separated from a substrate, and laser-induced graphene attached to a membrane of the membrane water treatment equipment.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein
(i) the process comprises making the medical apparatus component, and
(ii) the medical apparatus component is a blood dialysis apparatus component.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the blood dialysis apparatus component is a blood dialysis apparatus membrane that comprises the laser-induced graphene.

10. A method of fabricating a membrane for a separation application, wherein the method comprises:
(a) selecting a membrane having a carbon precursor layer; and
(b) generating laser-induced graphene on the carbon precursor layer of the membrane to form a laser-induced graphene-coated separation membrane, wherein the laser-induced graphene is a porous graphene foam structure.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the separation application is selected from a group consisting of oil/water separation, liquid separations, gas separations, and liquid/gas separations.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the membrane is a polymer membrane.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the carbon precursor is an aromatic polysulfone.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the aromatic polysulfone is selected from a group consisting of polysulfone, polyethersulfone, and polyphenylsulfone.

Assignees

• Univ Rice William M
• B G Negev Technologies And Applications Ltd At Ben Gurion Univ

Inventors

• Tour James M
• Chyan Yieu
• Arnusch Christopher John
• Singh Swatantra Pratap
• Li Yilun
• Luong Duy X
• Kittrell Carter
• Ye Ruquan
• Miller Jordan
• Kinstlinger Ian
• Cofer Savannah

Classifications

• B01D71/0211

  Graphene or derivates thereof · CPC title

• B01D67/0039

  Inorganic membrane manufacture · CPC title

• H01S3/005

  Optical devices external to the laser cavity, specially adapted for lasers, e.g. for homogenisation of the beam or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping (shaping laser beam for working metal or other materials B23K26/06; optical elements, systems or apparatus in general G02B) · CPC title

• H01S3/0007

  Applications not otherwise provided for (working metals or other materials by laser beam B23K26/00; using photons to produce a reactive propulsive thrust F03H3/00; optical recording of measured values in general G01D15/14; optics in general G02B; holographic processes or apparatus G03H; optical marking or sensing of data record carriers G06K7/10 - G06K7/14, G06K15/12; injection heating of plasma by laser H05H1/22; acceleration of neutral particles by electromagnetic wave pressure H05H3/04) · CPC title

• C01P2004/03

  obtained by SEM · CPC title