3D-Printing Technique Creates High-Resolution Graphene Aerogels

Aug-24-18 A new 3D-printing process is able to create detailed graphene aerogel structures at a higher resolution than ever before.

Although graphene is typically flat, forming it into 3D shapes increases its uses—so teams have turned to developing porous graphene aerogels.

To improve the resolution of the printed aerogels, a team from Virginia Tech made a hydrogel from graphene oxide, then broke it up with ultrasound and mixed it with light-sensitive acrylate polymers. Using projection micro-stereolithography, the team then created long chains of the polymer with graphene oxide trapped inside. Heating the mixture in a furnace caused the polymers to burn away and leave the graphene aerogel behind, and the team claims the technique can be used to create 3D graphene structures with a resolution down to 10 micrometers.

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