Rice University scientists in the United States invented laser-induced graphene for applications such as supercapacitors, and have now found a way to make sponge graphene superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic. Recently, Rice University Lab used laser pointer to burn some flexible polyimide flakes in the open air to obtain interrelated graphene flakes. But placing the polymer in a closed environment with different gases will change the different properties of the product.
The formation of LIG in argon or hydrogen makes it superhydrophobic or water-repellent, which is a very important feature for separating water from oil or deicing surfaces. It is formed in oxygen or air to make it super-hydrophilic, or water-absorbing, making it highly soluble.
Laboratory weight can also make graphene hydrophobic or hydrophilic, but generally involves multiple steps of wet chemical or chemical vapor deposition processes. We do this step by step in a self-made cavity with relatively inexpensive materials a little.
When the laboratory found that LIG was made in oxygen, the number of defects in the graphene flakes increased. They found carbon rings with 5- and 7-atomic strokes. When used as electrode materials for microcapacitors, their capacitance and performance Instead, it has been greatly improved! Changes in the chemical composition of the gas and even in the direction of the green laser pointer grating pattern also changed the material, leading researchers to believe that the hydrophobicity or lipophilicity of LIG can be adjusted.
They also found that when they scraped off graphene from a hydrophilic polymer sheet and converted it into a film, the result was hydrophobic. “This leads us to believe that the surface orientation of LIG’s flakes has a lot to do with its reaction with water. If the edges are more exposed, it seems to be hydrophilic; if the base surface is more exposed, their hydrophobicity is stronger.” The surface Types and chemical gases help to adjust the properties of the material. In fact, when they use sulfur/fluorine gas to make them, they increase LIG’s superhydrophobicity to 160 degrees.