INVENTORS
Mark Hersam*
Stuart Rowan*
Janan Hui
Haoyang You
SHORT DESCRIPTION Utilizing biorenewable carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals for the eco-friendly and scalable exfoliation of few-layer graphene nanoplatelets.
BACKGROUND Graphene's potential in next-generation printed electronics is vast yet hindered by scalability and environmental concerns. The search for renewable dispersants for liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) of graphite into graphene has become crucial to minimize environmental impact and improve scalability.
ABSTRACT This technology reports the use of carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) derived from Miscanthus x giganteus as a biorenewable dispersant for the aqueous liquid-phase exfoliation of graphene nanoplatelets. Optimized through a Bayesian machine learning model, this method achieves significant graphite-to-graphene conversion yields and superior electrical conductivity in printed films. A life cycle assessment confirms the method's environmental benefits, including reduced fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and water usage.
APPLICATIONS
Printed electronics
Flexible, wearable electronics
Biosensors
Composites and coatings
ADVANTAGES
High graphite-to-graphene conversion yield using biorenewable dispersants
Superior electrical conductivity in printed films
Reduced environmental impact compared to traditional LPE methods
Direct formulation into aerosol jet printing ink for high-resolution printing