By Josh Perry, Editor
[email protected]

Researchers from Rice University (Houston, Texas) and Ben Gurion University (Negev, Israel) continued their study of laser-induced graphene (LIG) by combining the flaky foam with plastic, rubber, cement, wax, and other materials to create composites with unique properties.

A scanning electron microscope image shows a composite of laser-induced graphene and polystyrene. (Tour Group/Rice University)

LIG was first discovered in 2014, according to a report from Rice, and since then researchers have been working on ways to make the material more mechanically robust.

“To make the composites, the researchers poured or hot-pressed a thin layer of the second material over LIG attached to polyimide,” the article explained. “When the liquid hardened, they pulled the polyimide away from the back for reuse, leaving the embedded, connected graphene flakes behind.”

Composites were made with soft materials for wearable electronics, hard composites were made for antibacterial or superhyrdrophobic surfaces, and liquid composites have potential for anti-icing coatings.

The research was recently published in ACS Nano. The abstract stated:

“Laser-induced graphene (LIG) is a platform material for numerous applications. Despite its ease in synthesis, LIG’s potential for use in some applications is limited by its robustness on substrates.

“Here, using a simple infiltration method, we develop LIG composites (LIGCs) with physical properties that are engineered on various substrate materials.

“The physical properties include surface properties such as superhydrophobicity and antibiofouling; the LIGCs are useful in antibacterial applications and Joule-heating applications and as resistive memory device substrates.”

Watch the video below to see the anti-icing composite in action: