Laser-Induced Graphene (LIG) as a Smart and Sustainable Material to Restrain Pandemics and Endemics: A Perspective

Abstract

A healthy environment is necessary for a human being to survive. The contagious COVID-19 virus has disastrously contaminated the environment, leading to direct or indirect transmission. Therefore, the environment demands adequate prevention and control strategies at the beginning of the viral spread. Laser-induced graphene (LIG) is a three-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterial fabricated in a single step on a wide variety of low-cost to high-quality carbonaceous materials without using any additional chemicals potentially used for antiviral, antibacterial, and sensing applications. LIG has extraordinary properties, including high surface area, electrical and thermal conductivity, environmental-friendliness, easy fabrication, and patterning, making it a sustainable material for controlling SARS-CoV-2 or similar pandemic transmission through different sources. LIG’s antiviral, antibacterial, and antibiofouling properties were mainly due to the thermal and electrical properties and texture derived from nanofibers and micropores. This perspective will highlight the conducted research and the future possibilities on LIG for its antimicrobial, antiviral, antibiofouling, and sensing applications. It will also manifest the idea of incorporating this sustainable material into different technologies like air purifiers, antiviral surfaces, wearable sensors, water filters, sludge treatment, and biosensing. It will pave a roadmap to explore this single-step fabrication technique of graphene to deal with pandemics and endemics in the coming future.

Functional Laser-Induced Graphene Composite Art

“…As the concentration of polymer increases, the role the composite polymer material plays in surface functionality increases while the surface properties of the LIG decreases. , Interestingly, the use of LIG to pattern paper surfaces has been suggested as a new tool for generating artistic designs on paper substrates, and the electrical conductivity of LIG might lead to additional in-built functionality . Other recent advances in LIG processing technology include the use of modified three-dimensional (3D) printing processes derived from laminated object manufacturing to make 3D LIG foams, , substituting the CO 2 laser for visible light and UV laser sources to scribe LIG, , using laser direct writing technologies to fabricate LIG, and monolithic fabrication processes, among others. , …”

“…8,16 Interestingly, the use of LIG to pattern paper surfaces has been suggested as a new tool for generating artistic designs on paper substrates, and the electrical conductivity of LIG might lead to additional in-built functionality. 19 Other recent advances in LIG processing technology include the use of modified threedimensional (3D) printing processes derived from laminated object manufacturing to make 3D LIG foams, 20,21 substituting the CO 2 laser for visible light and UV laser sources to scribe LIG, 22,23 using laser direct writing technologies to fabricate LIG, 24 and monolithic fabrication processes, 25 among others. 26,27 Here we show that various artistic LIG designs can also be embedded into the composite material of concrete and tailored to their desired application.…”

Development of a Biosensor Based on Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme II for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Detection in Human Saliva

“…Among these, laser-induced graphene (LIG) is an electrode material that is relatively facile, low-cost, and potentially more sustainable for manufacturing. LIG represents attractive advantages over other types of carbon electrodes with similar performance capabilities (Wang L. et al, 2020; Vivaldi et al, 2021 ; Dixit and Singh, 2022 ). We describe the development of a capacitive biosensor for intact SARS-CoV-2 detection in saliva.…”

Antimicrobial and Antibiofouling Electrically Conducting Laser‐Induced Graphene Spacers in Reverse Osmosis Membrane Modules

“…[27] LIG can inhibit biofilm formation and when an electric current is passed through the material, antiviral and antibacterial effects are observed. [21,[28][29][30] Mechanisms have been suggested including physical puncturing of the cell membrane, oxidative stress that could be reactive oxygen species-dependent or independent, and direct electrical effects. However, the application of LIG on a porous membrane surface changes the membrane separation properties because the surface layers of the membrane are carbonized in the process affecting the pore size and structure.…”