Transforming oil waste into highly conductive composites: Enabling flexible electronics through laser processing of asphaltenes

Carbon-polymer composites are promising materials in flexible electronics. Nevertheless, they have limitations either in conductivity or in mechanical stability. In this work, we investigate the formation mechanism, properties, and applications of a novel highly conductive and robust composite material, namely, laser-processed asphaltenes with polyethylene terephthalate (LAsp/PET). The composite was formed by the interaction of laser energy with asphaltenes and PET, creating a new material with unique properties. We employed various characterization techniques, including electrical characterization using the 4-point probe method, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to investigate the LAsp/PET material. The characterization results revealed the successful formation of a composite material with excellent electrical conductivity and homogeneity. The XPS analysis confirmed the presence of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms in the composite material, indicating the successful incorporation of asphaltenes with PET. Raman spectroscopy revealed the characteristic vibrational modes of both asphaltenes and PET, confirming the composite material formation. FTIR analysis further supported the composite nature of LAsp/PET, revealing the presence of various functional groups. Furthermore, we investigated the electrochemical, electrothermal, and mechanical properties of LAsp/PET demonstrating its potential as an electrode material for deformation sensors, electrothermal heaters, electrochemical sensors, supercapacitors, and antennas. Our results indicate that laser processing is an effective method for forming new composite materials with unique properties for various applications. Graphical abstract Laser processing of asphaltenes on polyethylene terephthalate provides a composite with superior electrical and mechanical properties. In the work we also demonstrate possible applications in flexible electronics.