Fabrication and patterning of carbon nanotube buckypapers using laser-separation method

A novel laser-separation method for fabrication and patterning of free-standing carbon nanotube buckypapers is reported in this study. By introducing a patterned mask, buckypapers having surface patterns could be straightforwardly fabricated; and, through a shaped support, buckypapers possessing three-dimensional curved surfaces were directly demonstrated. Property measurements indicated that the laser irradiation had unapparent effects on the buckypapers' electrical conductivity and field-emission characteristics. In addition, based on this approach, thin buckypapers, with thickness around 15 μm, could be constantly fabricated that demonstrates the superiority over the available mass-produced methods for which buckypapers with thickness smaller than 50 μm still present challenges.