Graphene has shown promising applications in electronic devices, energy storage, and electrochemical catalysis due to its unique properties. Recently, we reported laser induced graphene (LIG) as a facile and scalable approach to produce 3D graphene structures through a laser scribing process from commercial polyimide films. Various methods have then been developed to tune or improve the physical and chemical properties of the LIG by varying the laser conditions, or by introducing of boron or metal doping in the LIG, and through the electrochemical deposition of active materials on top of the original LIG layer. Yet, all these LIG materials were fabricated in ambient atmosphere, and the yielded surfaces were always hydrophilic. Aiming to expand the range of properties for LIG, especially to tune the hydrophobicity of the yielded LIG surfaces, and eventually to further extend the field of applications for LIG based on the different properties, we report here a method to fabricate LIG structures under controlled gas atmospheres, where superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic LIG could be directly obtained by switching the gas environment. This change in gas atmosphere permits the enormous change in the water contact angle on the as-prepared LIG, from superhydrophilic when using O2 or air, to superhydrophobic when using Ar, H2, or SF6. SEM, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy showed that the different wetting properties are due to the LIG surface morphology and the edge and surface chemistry of these LIG structures. While superhydrophobicity can be introduced with Ar, H2, or SF6 in the controlled atmosphere chamber, LIG samples fabricated under O2 flow show an increased number of defects which bring in a significantly improved specific capacitance when applied as the electrode material for microsupercapacitors, showing the versatility of the “controlled atmosphere chamber” fabrication method.

Fabrication of laser-induced graphene under controlled gas atmosphere – from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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