Additive manufacturing of hierarchical three- dimensional micro-architected aerogels

Patent · Tue Jan 30 04:00:00 EST 2024

OSTI ID:2541741

Worsley, Marcus A.; Zheng, Xiaoyu; Campbell, Patrick G.; Duoss, Eric; Oakdale, James; Spadaccini, Christopher; Hensleigh, Ryan

Disclosed here is a method for making a three-dimensional micro-architected aerogel, comprising: (a) curing a reaction mixture comprising a co-sol-gel material (e.g., graphene oxide (GO)) and at least one catalyst to obtain a crosslinked co-sol-gel (e.g., GO hydrogel); (b) providing a photoresin comprising a solvent, a photoinitiator, a crosslinkable polymer precursor, and a dispersion of the crosslinked co-sol-gel (e.g., GO hydrogel); (c) curing the photoresin using projection microstereolithography layer-by-layer to produce a wet gel having a pre-designed three-dimensional structure; (d) drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel; and (e) pyrolyzing the dry gel to produce a three-dimensional micro-architected aerogel (e.g., graphene aerogel). Also disclosed is a photoresin for projection microstereolithography, comprising a solvent, a photoinitiator, a crosslinkable polymer precursor, and a dispersion of a crosslinked co-sol-gel.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC52-07NA27344
• Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (Livermore, CA); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, VA)
• Patent Number(s): 11,884,002
• Application Number: 17/049,934
• OSTI ID: 2541741
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English