Direct surface patterning of carbon

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for producing carbon structures by laser irradiation, the method comprising: (i) providing a substrate, at least a portion of whose surface being covered with a sample comprising one or more thermally degradable organic compounds, said sample being in the form of homogeneous solution, suspension or emulsion; (ii) irradiating said covered surface portion locally by applying a focused laser beam, thus resulting in local deposition of carbon, and (iii) repeating step (ii) by moving either the laser beam or the sample, thus creating a desired pattern of carbon structures. The present invention further provides carbon structures produced by the method of the invention.

1 - 15 . (cancelled)  
     
     
         16 . A method for producing carbon structure by laser irradiation, the method comprising: 
 (i) providing a substrate, at least a portion of whose surface being covered with a sample comprising one or more thermally degradable organic compounds, said sample being in the form of homogenous solution, suspension or emulsion;    (ii) irradiating said covered surface portion locally by applying a focused laser beam, thus resulting in local deposition of carbon, and    (iii) repeating step (ii) by moving either the laser beam or the sample, thus creating a desired pattern of carbon structures, wherein said carbon structures comprise sp 3  and sp 2  bonding.    
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16  where the deposition of carbon structures is obtained from the decomposition of the thermally degradable compounds comprised by the irradiated sample.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein steps (ii) and (iii) are carried out in a direct-write technique.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , where said thermally degradable compounds are selected from the group consisting of peroxides, azo compounds, acids, ketones, diketones, biphenyls, polyphenyl compounds and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein said thermally degradable compounds are selected from dibenzoyl peroxide, di-tertbutyl peroxide, azo-bis-isobutyronitril, benzophenone, benzoic acid, dibenzoyl, benzhydrol, ethyl benzoate, benzoyl benzoate, biphenyl, p-terphenyl, naphthalene, anthracene and camphor.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein the irradiating laser operates in the infrared or near infrared region.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the irradiating laser is in optical tweezers configuration.  
     
     
         23 . Carbon structure comprising sp 3  and sp 2  bonding, produced by laser irradiation of a surface portion of a substrate, said surface portion being covered with a sample comprising one or more thermally degradable compounds that degrade under laser irradiation, where said sample is in the form of a homogenous solution, suspension or emulsion.  
     
     
         24 . Carbon structure according to  claim 23 , wherein said thermally degradable compounds are selected from the group consisting of peroxides, azo compounds, acids, ketones, diketones, biphenyls, polyphenyl compounds and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         25 . Carbon structure according to  claim 23  wherein said thermally degradable compounds are selected from the group consisting of dibenzoyl peroxide, di-tertbutyl peroxide, azo-bis-isobutyronitril, benzophenone, benzoic acid, dibenzoyl, benzhydrol, ethyl benzoate, benzoyl benzoate, biphenyl, p-terphenyl, naphthalene, anthracene and camphor.  
     
     
         26 . Carbon structure produced by the method of  claim 16 .  
     
     
         27 . Article of manufacture comprising carbon structure produced by the method of  claim 16 .  
     
     
         28 . Article of manufacture comprising carbon structures according to  claim 23.