Multifunctional metal–organic frameworks nanoengineered laser-induced graphene for health electronics

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2023-11, Vol.475, p.146330, Article 146330
• Main Authors: Li, Yunfan, Zeng, Ziran, Zhang, Shizhuo, Yi, Longju, Guo, Dingyi, Zhao, Yilin, Liu, Feng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electromagnetic interference shielding; Flexible piezoresistive sensor; Joule heater; Laser-induced graphene; Metal-organic frameworks
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.146330

•A three-dimensional porous NiCo-NPC/LIG film is prepared by laser irradiation.•A strategy by utilizing MOFs to regulate the morphology of LIG in situ is presented.•NiCo-NPC/LIG film has pressure sensing, EMI shielding, and Joule heating properties. Laser-induced graphene (LIG) has great application potential in flexible electronics. Incorporating other functional nanomaterials into LIG is an important way to improve its performance. However, there are few studies on in-situ modification of LIG morphology by nanomaterials to improve its performance. Herein, to modify the morphology of LIG films, NiCo-metal–organic frameworks (NiCo-MOFs) were added to the LIG precursors to participate in the carbonization forming process of LIG films for the first time, and the NiCo nanoporous carbon (NiCo-NPC)/LIG films with cauliflower-like surface microstructure were obtained. Since the formation process of LIG is affected by the carbonization of NiCo-MOFs, the NiCo-NPC/LIG film has a fluffier porous structure and rougher surface morphology than that of the LIG film. Therefore, the NiCo-NPC/LIG-based flexible piezoresistive sensor exhibits an ultra-high sensitivity of 226 kPa−1 in 0–45 kPa, which is 54 % higher than that of the LIG-based sensor. Meanwhile, the NiCo-NPC/LIG film exhibits an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of 171 dB/mm in the band of 8.2–12.4 GHz, which is 104 % higher than that of the corresponding LIG film. In addition, the NiCo-NPC/LIG-based Joule heater exhibits fast response and good flexibility. The experimental results indicate that using MOFs additives to modify the morphology of LIG in situ can effectively improve LIG performance, which provides a new way for developing high-performance LIG-based composite films.