nn7b01987_si_001.pdf (911.45 kB)
Three-Dimensional Printed Graphene Foams
journal contribution
posted on 2017-06-13, 00:00 authored by Junwei Sha, Yilun Li, Rodrigo Villegas Salvatierra, Tuo Wang, Pei Dong, Yongsung Ji, Seoung-Ki Lee, Chenhao Zhang, Jibo Zhang, Robert H. Smith, Pulickel M. Ajayan, Jun Lou, Naiqin Zhao, James M. TourAn
automated metal powder three-dimensional (3D) printing method
for in situ synthesis of free-standing 3D graphene
foams (GFs) was successfully modeled by manually placing a mixture
of Ni and sucrose onto a platform and then using a commercial CO2 laser to convert the Ni/sucrose mixture into 3D GFs. The
sucrose acted as the solid carbon source for graphene, and the sintered
Ni metal acted as the catalyst and template for graphene growth. This
simple and efficient method combines powder metallurgy templating
with 3D printing techniques and enables direct in situ 3D printing of GFs with no high-temperature furnace or lengthy growth
process required. The 3D printed GFs show high-porosity (∼99.3%),
low-density (∼0.015g cm–3), high-quality,
and multilayered graphene features. The GFs have an electrical conductivity
of ∼8.7 S cm–1, a remarkable storage modulus
of ∼11 kPa, and a high damping capacity of ∼0.06. These
excellent physical properties of 3D printed GFs indicate potential
applications in fields requiring rapid design and manufacturing of
3D carbon materials, for example, energy storage devices, damping
materials, and sound absorption.