Laser-engineered heavy hydrocarbons: Old materials with new opportunities
Open Access
- 1 April 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science Advances
- Vol. 6 (17), eaaz5231
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaz5231
Abstract
Polycyclic heavy hydrocarbons (HHs) such as coal, tar, and pitch are a family of materials with extremely rich and complex chemistry, representing a massive opportunity for their use in a range of potential applications. The present work shows that optimal selection of initial HHs based on molecular constituents is essential in tuning the material for a particular and targeted electronic application. Combining the selection of feedstock chemistry (H:C and aromatic content) and controlling variable laser treatment parameters (laser power, speed, and focus) lead to full control over the H:C ratio, sp(2) concentration, and degree of graphitic stacking order of the products. The broad intertunability of these factors results from a wide distribution of carbon material crystallinity from amorphous to highly graphitic and a broad distribution of electrical conductivity up to 10(3) S/m.Funding Information
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (EM09079)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
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