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Photocuring Graphene Oxide Liquid Crystals for High-Strength Structural Materials.
Keroles B Riad1, Suong V Hoa2, Paula M Wood-Adams1
1Laboratory for the Physics of Advanced Materials, Department of Chemical and Material Engineering, Concordia University, 1550 De Maisonneuve Boulevard West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 2J2.
ACS Omega
|June 27, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed photocuring to create strong, macroscale graphene oxide structures. This method yields materials with mechanical properties comparable to traditional techniques, enabling thicker samples and diverse shapes.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Graphene is the strongest known material, but scaling its properties to the macroscale is challenging.
- Self-assembled graphene oxide liquid crystals can form paper and fibers with excellent mechanical properties.
- Conventional methods for creating these structures include vacuum filtration, wet spinning, and freeze-drying.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce photocuring as a novel method for creating solid structures from self-assembled graphene oxide liquid crystals.
- To demonstrate the potential of photocuring for producing thicker graphene oxide samples and various shapes.
- To compare the mechanical properties of photocured graphene oxide paper with conventionally prepared samples.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing photocuring to solidify self-assembled graphene oxide liquid crystals.
- Preparing graphene oxide paper using the photocuring technique.
- Evaluating the mechanical properties of the resulting photocured graphene oxide paper.
Main Results:
- Photocuring successfully created solid structures from graphene oxide liquid crystals.
- The method allowed for the fabrication of thicker graphene oxide paper and other shapes.
- The mechanical properties of the photocured graphene oxide paper were comparable to those of benchmark samples produced via vacuum filtration.
Conclusions:
- Photocuring offers a viable and versatile alternative for fabricating macroscale graphene oxide structures.
- This technique expands the possibilities for creating advanced graphene-based materials with desirable mechanical properties.
- The study highlights the potential of photocuring for applications requiring robust and formable graphene materials.
