Fast New Way to Make Graphene for Next-Gen Electronics
MIE Professor Yung Joon Jung published his research, which is supported by the ARL Soldier Protection Program and KRI, on “One-Step Transformation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Networks into High-Performance Multilayer Graphene-Rich Films via Laser Shockwave Compaction” in Advanced Functional Materials.
Abstract
An unprecedented chemical-free, one-step method is presented to convert single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) networks into multilayer graphene-rich films at an exceptionally low temperature (<120 °C). This transformation is driven by high-rate, repetitive pressure (≈2.27 GPa) from laser-induced shockwaves, which compact and restructure the SWCNTs network to a graphenic film. A key mechanism is based on the controlled unzipping of SWCNTs under intense shockwave compaction, enabling their transition into multilayer graphene with near-equilibrium van der Waals layer spacing. The resulting graphene-rich films exhibit a sevenfold increase in thermal conductivity (66.25 ± 7.16 W m−1 K−1) and a 2.6-fold enhancement in electrical conductivity (0.18 ± 0.06 MS m−1), significantly improving the thermal and electrical transport properties. This scalable and energy-efficient method uniquely enables interface engineering and continuous sp2 structure reconstruction, opening new avenues for high-performance electronics, thermal management, and energy storage applications.