Direct laser-assisted manufacturing and patterning of graphene from polymers

Graphene is a two-dimensional material possessing unique electrical, optical and thermal properties. Broad applications based on its pristine form or hybrids have been developed and applied in various fields, including chemistry, biology, electrical engineering, aerospace and environmental management. To meet the market demand, great efforts have been taken to develop a cost-effective method for the synthesis and fabrication of graphene materials and electronics. Among all the reported methods, conventional physical and chemical methods such as liquid/ gas phase-based or mechanical exfoliation, chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and reduction of graphene oxide, were widely adopted in the early stage. In this study, the use of a CO2 infrared laser for direct manufacturing and patterning of graphene, namely laser-induced graphene (LIG) is introduced. It starts with the principle of the laser-induced transformation, including the influence of laser parameters on the morphology and property of graphene. Then the formation of composites and methods for continuous manufacturing will be discussed. A few representative applications of LIG will be showcased to demonstrate its versatility. These include the applications of single LIG devices and their integration into full devices. Finally, the limitation of LIG technique and future engineering practice will be highlighted.