Green-Graphene Protective Overlayer on Optical Microfibers: Prolongs the Device Lifetime

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Optical microfibers are crucial in various industries but suffer from fragility.
• There is a need for improved durability and wear resistance in optical microfiber applications.
• Green and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes are increasingly important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for enhancing the lifetime and survivability of optical microfibers.
• To explore the use of green-extracted graphene overlayers for surface modification.
• To investigate the potential of gold nanoparticles for additional functionalities.

Main Methods:

• Green extraction of graphene from shungite mineral samples via aqueous dispergation.
• Tapering of optical fibers.
• Sculpturing tapered optical fibers with graphene films containing gold nanoparticles.
• Comparative analysis of modified and bare microfibers.

Main Results:

• Surface modification with graphene overlayers significantly increased microfiber lifetime and survivability by five times.
• The developed method utilizes environmentally friendly graphene extraction.
• Incorporated gold nanoparticles offer potential for enhanced sensitivity and other applications.

Conclusions:

• Green-extracted graphene overlayers effectively enhance the durability of optical microfibers.
• This surface modification technique offers a sustainable solution to microfiber fragility.
• The integration of gold nanoparticles opens avenues for advanced sensor development and other functionalities.