PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Zang, X.
AU  - Jian, C.
AU  - Ingersoll, S.
AU  - Li, Huashan
AU  - Adams, J. J.
AU  - Lu, Z.
AU  - Ferralis, N.
AU  - Grossman, J. C.
TI  - Laser-engineered heavy hydrocarbons: Old materials with new opportunities
AID  - 10.1126/sciadv.aaz5231
DP  - 2020 Apr 01
TA  - Science Advances
PG  - eaaz5231
VI  - 6
IP  - 17
4099  - http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/17/eaaz5231.short
4100  - http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/17/eaaz5231.full
SO  - Sci Adv2020 Apr 01; 6
AB  - 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, sp2 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 103 S/m.