Scalable synthesis, characterization and testing of 3D architected gyroid graphene lattices from additively manufactured templates

We have developed a novel, facile and architecturally versatile fabrication method for specially designed cellular graphene lattices using additively manufactured polymer-based gyroidal triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) as the initial sacrificial scaffold. Three-dimensional (3D)-printed templates of the polymeric gyroid lattices were coated with a mixture of graphene oxide (GO) and hydrazine solution via the hydrothermal process, followed by drying and thermal etching of the polymer scaffold, which resulted in a neat reduced GO (rGO) lattice of the gyroidal TPMS structure. Scanning electron microscopy and micro-computed tomography were used to evaluate the morphology and size of the 3D rGO architectures, while a Raman response at 1360cm-1 (D peak), 1589cm-1 (G peak) and 2696cm-1 (2D peak) verified the presence of rGO. Thermo-electro-mechanical properties of rGO gyroid lattices of different densities were characterized where the highest Young's modulus recorded was 351kPa for a sample with a density of 45.9mg cm-3. The rGO gyroid lattice exhibits an electrical conductivity of 1.07Sm-1 and high thermal insulation property with a thermal conductivity of 0.102Wm-1K-1. It is demonstrated that the hydrothermal-Assisted fabrication process is adaptable for different lattice architectures based on 3D-printed scaffolds and thus has wide functional applications.