Interconnected corrugated carbon-based network

Abstract

An interconnected corrugated carbon-based network comprising a plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is disclosed. In one embodiment, each of the expanded and interconnected carbon layers is made up of at least one corrugated carbon sheet that is one atom thick. In another embodiment, each of the expanded and interconnected carbon layers is made up of a plurality of corrugated carbon sheets that are each one atom thick. The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network is characterized by a high surface area with highly tunable electrical conductivity and electrochemical properties.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An interconnected corrugated carbon-based network comprising a plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers. 
     
     
         2 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein each of the expanded and interconnected carbon layers comprises at least one corrugated carbon sheet that is one atom thick. 
     
     
         3 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein each of the expanded and interconnected carbon layers comprises a plurality of corrugated carbon sheet that are each one atom thick. 
     
     
         4 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity that is greater than about 1500 S/m. 
     
     
         5 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity that is greater than about 1600 S/m. 
     
     
         6 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity of around about 1650 S/m. 
     
     
         7 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity that is greater than about 1700 S/m. 
     
     
         8 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity of around about 1738 S/m. 
     
     
         9 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a surface area that is greater than around about 1000 square meters per gram (m 2 /g). 
     
     
         10 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a surface area that is greater than around about 1500 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         11 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a surface area of around about 1520 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         12 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity that is greater than about 1700 S/m and a surface area that is about 1500 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         13 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity of around about 1650 S/m and a surface area of around about 1520 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         14 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein a second order disordered (2D) Raman peak for the interconnected corrugated carbon-based network shifts from around about 2730 cm −1  to around about 2688 cm −1  after the interconnected corrugated carbon-based network is reduced from a carbon-based oxide. 
     
     
         15 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein a 2D Raman peak for the interconnected corrugated carbon-based network shifts from around about 2700 cm −1  to around about 2600 cm −1  after the interconnected corrugated carbon-based network is reduced from a carbon-based oxide. 
     
     
         16 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein an average thickness of the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is around 7.6 μm. 
     
     
         17 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein a range of thickness of the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is from around about 7 μm to around about 8 μm. 
     
     
         18 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein an oxygen content of the expanded and interconnected carbon layers is around about 3.5%. 
     
     
         19 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein an oxygen content of the expanded and interconnected carbon layers ranges from around about 1% to around about 5%. 
     
     
         20 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a carbon to oxygen (C/O) ratio of approximately 27.8:1. 
     
     
         21 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a C/O ratio that ranges from around about 100:1 to 25:1. 
     
     
         22 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a sheet resistance that is tunable within a range of around about 20 megaohms per square to around about 80 ohms per square. 
     
     
         23 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a Raman spectroscopy S3 second order peak at about 2927 cm −1 . 
     
     
         24 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a range of Raman spectroscopy S3 second order peak that ranges from around about 2920 cm −1  to around about 2930 cm −1 . 
     
     
         25 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein a number of carbon layers in the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is greater than about 100. 
     
     
         26 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein a number of carbon layers in the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is greater than about 1000. 
     
     
         27 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein a number of carbon layers in the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is greater than about 10,000. 
     
     
         28 . The interconnected corrugated carbon-based network of  claim 1  wherein a number of carbon layers in the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is greater than about 100,000. 
     
     
         29 . A method of producing a patterned interconnected corrugated carbon-based network comprising:
 receiving a substrate having a carbon-based oxide film;   generating a light beam having a power density sufficient to reduce portions of the carbon-based oxide film to a plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers that are electrically conductive; and   directing the light beam across the carbon-based oxide film in a predetermined pattern via a computerized control system.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  further including adjusting the power density of the light beam to tune electrical conductivity of the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers produced when the carbon-based oxide film is exposed to the light beam. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a sheet resistance that is tunable within a range of around 20 megaohms per square to around 80 ohms per square. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the carbon-based oxide film is a graphite oxide film. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the graphite oxide film has a C/O ratio of approximately 2.6:1. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32  wherein portions of the graphite oxide film exposed to the light beam have a C/O ratio of approximately 27.8:1. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers have a C/O ratio that ranges from around 100:1 to 25:1. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the light beam is a laser beam. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the laser beam is an infrared laser beam having a wave-length of around 780 nm. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 29  wherein light beam emission ranges from near infrared to ultraviolet wavelengths. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the light beam has a power of around about 5 mW. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the light beam has a power range from around about 5 mW to around about 350 mW. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 29  further including loading the substrate into an automated laser patterning system before generating the light beam having the power density sufficient to reduce portions of the carbon-based oxide film to the interconnected corrugated carbon-based network. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 29  wherein exposing the carbon-based oxide film to the light beam to form the predetermined pattern of interconnected corrugated carbon-based networks within the carbon-based oxide film is repeated over predetermined portions of the predetermined pattern to increase a graphite to carbon-based oxide ratio. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 29  further including an initial step of drop-casting a carbon-based oxide solution onto the substrate. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the substrate is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 29  further including exposing the substrate with oxygen plasma for around about three minutes. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a surface area of around about 1520 square meters per gram (m 2 /g). 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 29  wherein each of the expanded and interconnected carbon layers is a single corrugated carbon sheet that is only one atom thick. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity that is greater than around about 1500 S/m. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity that is greater than around about 1600 S/m. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity of around about 1650 S/m. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity that is greater than about 1700 S/m. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity of around about 1738 S/m. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a surface area that is greater than around about 1000 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a surface area that is greater than around about 1500 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a surface area of around about 1520 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity that is greater than around about 1700 S/m and a surface area that is around about 1500 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers yields an electrical conductivity of around about 1650 S/m and a surface area of around about 1520 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 29  wherein a second order disordered (2D) Raman peak for the interconnected corrugated carbon-based network shifts from around about 2730 cm −1  to around about 2688 cm −1  after the interconnected corrugated carbon-based network is reduced from a carbon-based oxide. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 29  wherein a 2D Raman peak for the interconnected corrugated carbon-based network shifts from around about 2700 cm −1  to around about 2600 cm −1  after the interconnected corrugated carbon-based network is reduced from a carbon-based oxide. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 29  wherein an average thickness of the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is around about 7.6 μm. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 29  wherein a range of thickness of the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is from around about 7 μM to around about 8 μm. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 29  wherein an oxygen content of the expanded and interconnected carbon layers is around about 3.5%. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 29  wherein an oxygen content of the expanded and interconnected carbon layers ranges from around about 1% to around about 5%. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers have a C/O ratio of approximately 27.8:1. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers have a C/O ratio that ranges from around about 100:1 to 25:1. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a sheet resistance that is tunable within a range of around about 20 megaohms per square to around about 80 ohms per square. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a Raman spectroscopy S3 second order peak at around about 2927 cm −1 . 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers has a range of Raman spectroscopy S3 second order peak that ranges from around about 2920 cm −1  to around about 2930 cm −1 . 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 29  wherein a number of carbon layers in the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is greater than around about 100. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 29  wherein a number of carbon layers in the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is greater than around about 1000. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 29  wherein a number of carbon layers in the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is greater than around about 10,000. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 29  wherein a number of carbon layers in the plurality of expanded and interconnected carbon layers is greater than around about 100,000. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the predetermined pattern defines conductive traces of an all-organic gas sensor. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 73  wherein the all-organic gas sensor is a physically flexible nitrous oxide (NO 2 ) sensor. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the predetermined pattern defines a fast redox active electrode. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the predetermined pattern defines a scaffold for direct growth of nanoparticles. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 76  wherein the nanoparticles are platinum (Pt) nanoparticles.