SoylentNews

Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

researchers mixed the graphene oxide with water. They then printed the lattice framework on a surface of -25°C [futurity.org]. The graphene is sandwiched between the layers of frozen ice, which act as a structural support.

After the process is completed, the lattice is dipped in liquid nitrogen, which helps form even stronger hydrogen bonds. The lattice is then placed in a freeze dryer, where the ice is changed into gas and removed. The end result is a complex, three-dimensional structure made of graphene aerogel that retains its shape at room temperature.

“By keeping the graphene in a cold environment, we were able to ensure that it retained the shape we designed. This is an important step toward making graphene a commercially viable material,” says Dong Lin, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering at Kansas State University and the study’s other corresponding author.

Traditional approaches mix graphene with polymer that is later removed with a heating process that can damage the graphene structure. Original study here [doi.org].

Original Submission