Sugar String Graphene Balloons

A recent article discussing an innovative technique for creating a 3D strutted framework for graphene mentions some inspiration came from blown sugar art:

The research group succeeded for the first time in the world in making 3-D graphene products, by applying an innovative, never-before-published method inspired by the blown sugar art,

which they call the "chemical blowing method" or uniquely name as "sugar-blowing method".   In this method, glucose and ammonium salt are mixed and heated at around 250 C, through which glucose-deriving polymers can be obtained. The released ammonia gases "blow" polymers by creating pressure from the inside, generating a number of small polymer bubbles of tens of microns. Concurrently, a framework for stabilizing the structure is formed and a product with a strutted 3-D structure is made.

So I looked up sugar art, and it  got me thinking back to my childhood days.  Maybe there's something similar that could possibly produce results better suited to graphene's unique properties . .  something better than the pure sugar method . . .

Sugar string-wrapped balloons!

image credit: http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss66/abentleylarsen/IMG_0001.jpg

When I was a little girl between first and third grades, my grandmother would have me over to her house every year where we'd make these ridiculously messy, but very fun and cool Easter baskets.

These Easter baskets were very simple and crafty, made out of sugar-water soaked yarn and balloons.  After dipping the yarn into sugar water, you "wrap" the balloon in swaddles of this messy gooey yarn, and tie it somewhere outside dry.  After the water dissolves and the sugar hardens, the shape of the balloon remains via the crystallized structure.  After a few hours, it stiffens pretty hard and becomes surprisingly sturdy.  Sturdy enough to be an Easter basket and lightweight as can be.   

This seems like it has some interesting implications, and could be an even better method of creating a sturdy lattice for graphene to have an amazingly large surface area in what generally amounts to small space -- all the while retaining the "hollow" and therefore lightweight property that makes graphene so special and amazing.

Graphene-oxide + water + dissolved sugar-soaked balloons? 

Presuming that this technique can be patented and used with graphene, I shall pre-emptively call patents and trademarks and copyrights and whatever else for the "sugar string graphene balloon" method of producing 3D graphene.

For the record:  to-date (prior to the publishing of this post) there are no results for "sugar string graphene" .. dibs!

 


Awesome.  Remember you read it here first, and if you're so inclined -- please buy your graphene hacking materials smartly.   Collaboration and shared credit really are going to be the way to usher in the new generation of conceptualized science.