Jan 25, 2019
(Nanowerk News) A Northwestern University team is reshaping the world of graphene – literally.
The team has turned graphene oxide (GO) into a soft, moldable and kneadable play dough that can be shaped and reshaped into free-standing, three-dimensional structures.
Called "GO dough," the product might be fun to play with it, but it's more than a toy. The malleable material solves several long-standing -- and sometimes explosive -- problems in the graphene manufacturing industry.
A short block of GO dough can be repeatedly rolledto a long ribbon. (Image: Jiaxing Huang/Northwestern University)
"Currently graphene oxide is stored as dry solids or powders, which are prone to combustion," said Jiaxing Huang, who led the study. "Or they have to be turned into dilute dispersions, which multiply the material's mass by hundreds or thousands."
Huang recounted his most recent shipment of 5 kilograms of graphene oxide, which was dispersed in 500 liters of liquid. "It had to be delivered in a truck," he said. "The same amount of graphene oxide in dough form would weigh about 10 kilograms, and I could carry it myself."
The research was published in the journal Nature Communications ("Binder-free graphene oxide doughs"). Huang is a professor of materials science and engineering in Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering.
Highly processable and versatile, GO dough can be readily reshaped by cutting, pinching, molding and carving. (Image: Jiaxing Huang/Northwestern University)
Graphene oxide, which is a product of graphite oxidation, is often used to make graphene, a single-atom-layer thick sheet of carbon that is remarkably strong, lightweight and has potential for applications in electronics and energy storage.
![Rolled graphene oxide dough](https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news2/id51980.jpg)
![Highly processable and versatile, graphene oxide dough can be readily reshaped by cutting, pinching, molding and carving](https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news2/id51980_1.jpg)