Selective stamping of laser scribed rGO nanofilms: from sensing to multiple applications

Abstract

A rapid low-cost technology to produce highly conductive laser-scribed reduced-graphene oxide (rGO) thin films on flexible substrates is developed. Isolated rGO films, up to 30 nm thick and with a conductivity of 102 S m−1 are produced at room temperature in a three-step process: filtering the graphene oxide (GO) solution through nitrocellulose membranes, reduction of GO surface using a DVD-burner laser and solvent-free transfer of the resulting rGO pattern onto new substrates via pressure-based mechanism. The loss of density in the reduced part produces an increase in the thickness enabling the transfer of rGO only. The rGO is characterized with several analytical techniques, and its reduction degree, thickness, morphology, electrochemical and electromechanical properties are investigated and optimized. The validation of the technology is tested using a wide variety of substrates, and its applicability as a sensing platform for dopamine detection and back electrode in an electroluminescent lamp is demonstrated, opening the venue for a plethora of other new applications.

Laser processing of graphene and related materials for energy storage: State of the art and future prospects

“…One area attracting particular interest in the last few years is the manufacture of flexible devices based on LrGO. Examples include various chemical, humidity and strain sensors as well as electrical circuit boards for healthcare portable electronics [130][131][132][133][134]. Different approaches have been reported for limiting the exposure to oxygen atoms from air during LrGO synthesis, with the intent of avoiding undue combustion.…”

Capillary‐Force‐Driven Switchable Delamination of Nanofilms and Its Application to Green Selective Transfer

“…However, lithographic techniques such as photolithography and electron-beam lithography involve equipment-intensive and chemical etching processes that are obstacles to widely accessible and environmentally friendly fabrication. [24] Although ink-jet printing [25] and selective growth of nanofilms [26][27][28] can be used to fabricate nanofilm patterns on donor substrates without lithographic techniques, the class of accessible materials is restricted. Therefore, further advanced research is required to develop a universal and highly efficient selective transfer method that will enable precise control of the delamination region for various nanofilms.…”

Xurography-Enabled Thermally Transferred Carbon Nanomaterial-Based Electrochemical Sensors on Polyethylene Terephthalate–Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Films

“…Carbon NM-based electrochemical sensors have been fabricated combining vacuum filtering and press transfer. Vacuum filtering enables the uniform deposition of NM-based films onto membrane filters that can be then transferred onto non-conductive supports such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), or nitrocellulose. ,− This approach is not restricted to conventional electrodes, but it is also capable of producing optically transparent electrodes for spectroelectrochemical cells. , Our group has exploited these kinds of approaches to fabricate exclusively single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) , and carbon black (CB)-based ,, electrodes allowing the detection of different analytes such as polyphenols, pesticides, and biological markers. , Although it is a smart technique, it presents some disadvantages: high pressure needed for the transfer (∼4–20 tons), which requires a hydraulic press, multistep NM-film preparation protocols, which include several handmade steps leading to limited and non-reproducible electrode designs, and, more importantly, not all nanomaterials are properly transferred using this method, hindering their application.…”

“…Lately, rapid-prototyping technologies have brought mass-scale fabrication directly into the laboratory opening new opportunities and boosting existing techniques. This is especially remarkable in the electrochemical (bio)­sensor field in which a wide set of new techniques such as 3D printing, roller-pen writing, stamp contact printing, laser scribing, , and laser cutting have offered new solutions for sensor and smart-device fabrication. In particular, an increasing need for techniques capable of stamping exclusively NM films on flexible plastic supports is in the spotlight of research. , Among them, the combination of stencil printing and xurography has recently been drawing wide attention.…”