The research teams of Laurene Tetard, professor of at 麻豆原创, and Richard Blair, researcher professor at 麻豆原创鈥檚 , have discovered how to produce strong micro and nanofibers of carbon at room temperature, which can be implemented in a unique 3D printing process they have developed.
The team鈥檚 research, published in , studies how when exposed to light, boron-based catalysts can break down hydrocarbons into their component elements, such as hydrogen and carbon. Blair says that while carbon printing is common, their team has unexpectedly discovered an approach mild enough to print carbon fibers onto easily damaged materials like cotton.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 exciting about this is that we鈥檙e essentially 3D printing carbon structures at room temperature,鈥� Blair says. 鈥淭his has been done before, but usually at very high temperatures. We鈥檙e able to do it at much lower temperatures and even on flexible materials like fabric.鈥�
He says that this was not the team鈥檚 initial focus; the research team was originally researching catalysts for converting propylene into propane. By analyzing the catalyst surface exposed to the gas propylene with a laser, the researchers expected to gain insight into the reaction studied.
Fernand Torres-Davila 鈥�17MS 鈥�16PhD, a 麻豆原创 graduate student who had since completed a doctorate in physics, was conducting spectroscopic analysis when he noticed black spots forming under the laser, which were initially attributed to the decomposition of the catalyst surface. However, upon further investigation, the marks turned out to be carbon formed by the breakdown of propylene adsorbed on the surface.
鈥淲e realized there’s no catalyst decomposition pathway that would make those black spots,鈥� Blair says. 鈥淲e were breaking the gas down into its component parts: hydrogen and carbon.鈥�
Collaboration has been key to the process. Blair says with the help and patience of Tetard, they were able to create three-dimensional carbon structures with a laser, similar to certain types of 3D printers.
鈥淲e were looking at the hydrogen component, and my colleague, Dr. Tetard, noticed that as she focused the laser, interesting shapes were forming,鈥� he says. 鈥淪he moved the laser up from the surface, and the shapes would grow following the laser.鈥�
Tetard and her research team offered their perspective on the discovery.
鈥淏oth of our teams have collaborated closely on this work. My group鈥檚 focus is more on the small-scale manipulation and understanding of the processes using nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy tools,鈥� Tetard says. 鈥淭hese complement the efforts from all the other authors and contributors well. Each brings their unique perspectives in presenting this special project of carbon growth using 3D printing technology.鈥�
Tetard shares that this collaboration has opened the door to new ways to implement catalysts to improve efficiency.
鈥淐atalysis is important to achieve a lot of chemical transformations that are necessary for our society,鈥� Tetard says. 鈥淧roducing carbon without significant energy consumption is crucial in today鈥檚 context. This approach uses a catalyst engineered by Dr. Blair, which enables a new type of catalytic process that reduces the amount of energy required to grow carbon. One consequence of our work is that printing structures made of carbon in 3D becomes possible, opening the door to many new applications.鈥�
Along with the discovery of sustainable and resilient carbon growth, Blair says it was discovered that these carbon structures are electrically conductive and biologically compatible.
鈥淭hese carbon structures can interface with biological systems without killing them,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e’ve seen that electrodes made from these materials can be inserted into living cells without causing cell death. This allows the electrical processes in a cell to be monitored in vivo. It may also enable direct interface between electronic and biologic systems.鈥�
Tetard says they are looking for more ways to implement carbon into their continuing research.
鈥淭his project has been endearing because we observed many unexpected processes,鈥� Tetard says. Unfolding all the details has been challenging but rewarding. We are still working on this project to present some other aspects of the processes at play during carbon growth, and to explore the properties of the carbon products.
Tetard says she is grateful for the collaborative efforts of her and Blair鈥檚 research teams.
鈥淣one of this research could be done without the undergraduate and graduate students, who were key to the realization of the project,鈥� she says.
