RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Laser-engineered heavy hydrocarbons: Old materials with new opportunities
JF Science Advances
JO Sci Adv
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP eaaz5231
DO 10.1126/sciadv.aaz5231
VO 6
IS 17
A1 Zang, X.
A1 Jian, C.
A1 Ingersoll, S.
A1 Li, Huashan
A1 Adams, J. J.
A1 Lu, Z.
A1 Ferralis, N.
A1 Grossman, J. C.
YR 2020
UL http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/17/eaaz5231.abstract
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.