| Feb 13, 2025 |
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(Nanowerk News) Researchers at the University of Waterloo have unlocked the potential of graphene in areas as diverse as vehicles, consumer electronics and environmental cleanup with an eco-friendly ink for 3D-printing.
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The study appeared in Journal of Materials Chemistry A (“Additive-free graphene-based inks for 3D printing functional conductive aerogels”).
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Graphene is well known for its strength, electrical conductivity and thermal properties, but it is typically produced in a powder form that can be difficult to work with, therefore limiting its uses.
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Waterloo researchers tackled that problem by creating the world’s first all-graphene ink by engineering graphene nanosheets that can disperse in water while still maintaining conductivity.
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| A 3D printer uses the graphene ink to make a UW logo. (Image: University of Waterloo)
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In addition to extreme versatility, the new ink is environmentally friendly because it is additive-free and, unlike alternatives, does not require any chemical solvents for printing.
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“Shaping graphitic materials into complex geometries for advanced applications has long been a critical challenge that has limited their widespread adoption,” said Dr. Milad Kamkar, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Waterloo. “With our proposed methods, we can 3D-print graphene into any shape.”
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As a water-based, functional ink, graphene can be used with 3D printers to make sensors for smartwatches and fitness bands, or glucose monitoring for people with diabetes.
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Other potential applications include 3D-printed parts to make vehicles lighter, reducing fuel consumption while also improving durability, and filters to purify and even desalinate water.
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Graphene ink could also be used in batteries, printed electronics and environmental remediation, such as cleaning up oil spills in oceans with porous, super-absorbent structures, and capturing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to help minimize climate change.
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To devise these inks, the research team – which included members from the University of Calgary, the University of British Columbia and Aalto University in Finland – developed a two-step electrochemical process that is well-suited to mass-manufacturing.
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A specially designed step called intercalation, which involves the insertion of a molecule into layered graphite, allows for continuous production of the graphene nanosheets in water.
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“Our modern technological advancements have come at the cost of new environmental challenges,” said Kamkar, who is also director of the Multiscale Materials Design Lab at Waterloo.
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“To survive and address these challenges, we must develop new materials that are more effective than those currently available. This can only be achieved by controlling and fine-tuning material properties across multiple scales, from the molecular and nano levels to the macro scale.”
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The researchers’ next steps will involve exploring advanced applications for environmental remediation and carbon dioxide capture technology.
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