Supercapacitors Fabricated via Laser-Induced Carbonization of Biomass-Derived Poly(furfuryl alcohol)/Graphene Oxide Composites

Abstract

The use of low-cost and widely available infrared lasers to pattern laser-induced graphene (LIG) into commercial polymers has incited intense research over the past few years due to its simplicity and ability to create various electrical and electrochemical devices. While the highest performing devices have been created by using costly synthetic polymers such as Kapton, the carbonization of one of the most common carbon precursors, the waste biomass-derived polymer poly(furfuryl alcohol) (PFA), has yet to be reported. As we demonstrate here, this is likely because PFA does not carbonize effectively via laser exposure. Instead, we show that the successful carbonization of PFA can be achieved by doping films with graphene oxide (GO) at loadings as low as 1 wt % GO. This enables the formation of highly conductive traces with sheet resistances as low as 13 Ω/sq. Supercapacitors built from microstructured PFA/GO composites result in specific areal capacitances as high as 16.0 mF/cm 2 at 0.05 mA/cm 2 , which is among the highest ever reported for micro-supercapacitors based on the LIG method, and retain 97% of their capacitance over 10000 cycles. This materials system provides a simpler, more versatile, higher performing, and greener platform for laser writing than previously reported polymers and composites.

Machine-learning-assisted fabrication: Bayesian optimization of laser-induced graphene patterning using in-situ Raman analysis

“…With the addition of successive layers, others report broadening and splitting of the 2Dband such, that the distinct band shape can differentiate between single and multilayer graphene for layer thickness of less than 4 layers [51]. Although the FWHM reported here generally decreases with increasing G/D ratio, the 2D-bands in our samples are typically twice as broad as those reported for monolayer graphene, as seen in other LIG reports [10,36]; they have a symmetrical profile (Fig. 8d) more closely related to 2D graphite with its layers randomly stacked along the c-axis [52].…”

“…3. Although the 2D peak can be fitted with only one Lorentzian peak at ~2700 cm -1 , similar to graphene [35], the fullwidth half-maximum (FWHM) is much larger ~60 cm -1 in our LIG, as reported by others [10,36]. In contrast, the 2D-band in bilayer or multilayered graphene is commonly fitted with more than one Lorentzian function [35].…”

An Intelligent Fire-Protection Coating Based on Ammonium Polyphosphate/Epoxy Composites and Laser-Induced Graphene

“…Therefore, the surface of APP/EP may be photothermally converted into amorphous carbon first [ 31 ], whereas subsequent exposures to the laser scribing may facilitate the conversion of the amorphous carbon into graphene (with four passes being the optimal number). Figure 3 illustrates that the high temperature produced by the laser scribing would destroy the C=O and N−C bonds [ 33 , 34 , 35 ], which was confirmed by the elemental decrease of oxygen and nitrogen in the LIG. Certain amounts of N, P, and C atoms would most likely recombine and “recrystallize” into N- and P-doped graphene under the release of gaseous products, such as H 2 O, CO 2 , and N x O y [ 36 ].…”

High-performance nanostructured bio-based carbon electrodes for energy storage applications

“…There have been very few recent reports utilizing unconventional biomass and biowaste materials such as glucose, rice straw, and poly(furfuryl alcohol) as carbon precursors to develop nanostructured films (Hawes et al 2019 ). The reported films were prepared by filtration method.…”