Comparing Carbon Origami from Polyaramid and Cellulose Sheets.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Carbon origami offers lightweight, stiff 3D architectures with broad application potential.
• Precursor material choice significantly influences the final properties of carbon origami.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of precursor nature and microstructure on carbon origami properties.
• To compare Nomex (non-porous polyaramid) and cellulose (macroporous fibril) as precursor sheets.

Main Methods:

• Pre-creasing precursor sheets via laser engraving.
• Manual folding into origami structures.
• Carbonization of folded structures.

Main Results:

• Nomex-derived carbon showed higher crystallinity and a glassy carbon-like microstructure.
• Cellulose-derived carbon experienced significant shrinkage and had a higher specific surface area.
• Nomex-derived carbon Miura-ori structures achieved a mechanical stiffness of 1.9 ± 0.2 MPa and specific modulus of 2.4 × 10⁴ m²·s⁻², outperforming cellulose-derived structures.

Conclusions:

• Precursor microstructure critically impacts carbon origami properties.
• Nomex is a promising precursor for high-stiffness carbon origami.
• Findings aid in selecting precursors for specific carbon origami applications.