Patterned structures of graphene and graphitic carbon and methods for their manufacture
A patterned graphene or graphitic body is produced by providing a three-dimensionally patterned carbonaceous body; coating the body with a catalytic metal whereby is formed a coating having an inner surface proximal the body and an outer surface distal the body; and annealing the coated body under time and temperature conditions effective to form a graphene or graphitic layer on the outer surface of the catalytic metal coating.
1. Apparatus comprising a three-dimensionally patterned graphene or graphitic body, wherein the body is conformed as a porous interconnected network having an average pore size in the range 50-1000 nm, and wherein the body is conformed as a network of bulbous nodes interconnected by arms.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body is conformed as a honeycomb structure.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body is a product of a process that includes patterning a photoresist by interference lithography.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the nodes contain metal nodules.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the metal nodules are a residue of a catalytic metal coating used to form the graphene or graphitic body from a sacrificial carbon source.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the metal nodules have a composition that comprises at least one of copper, nickel, and ruthenium.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally patterned graphene or graphitic body comprises multilayer graphene, and wherein at least some of the nodes contain metal cores.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising an electrochemical electrode comprising multilayer graphene conformed as a porous network of bulbous nodes interconnected by arms, and wherein at least some of the nodes contain metal cores.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the bulbous nodes contains a metal nodule having a composition that comprises at least one of copper, nickel, and ruthenium.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the three-dimensionally patterned graphene or graphitic body is conformed as a porous interconnected network having a honeycomb structure;
the porous interconnected network comprises a plurality of said bulbous nodes interconnected by arms; and
at least some of the bulbous nodes contain metal nodules.