Electrically Assisted Thermal Stamping of Tunable Carbon‐Based Nanofilms for Direct Fabrication of Hydrophobic, Energy Harvesting, and Sensing Devices

B Byungseok Seo (The NUANCE Center Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA) Y Yong Choi (School of Mechanical Engineering Korea University Seoul Republic of Korea) G Gajendra S. Shekhawat (The NUANCE Center Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA) M Minjoong Shin (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA) K Kunmo Koo (The NUANCE Center Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA) X Xiaobing Hu J Jiheon Kim (Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea) W Wonjoon Choi (School of Mechanical Engineering Korea University Seoul Republic of Korea) X Xinqi Chen V Vinayak P. Dravid (Department of Materials Science & Engineering)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The demand for multifunctional thin‐film devices has accelerated the development of scalable fabrication techniques capable of precisely controlling composition, structure, and patterning. However, conventional approaches rely on complex, multi‐step processing and harsh conditions, limiting their applicability. Herein, we report a single‐step, electrically assisted thermal stamping (EATS) method for the direct and scalable fabrication of carbon‐based nanofilms, including reduced graphene oxide (rGO), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and their nanocomposite films. By applying localized Joule heating to PTFE‐embedded carbon paper under ambient conditions, EATS induces graphite exfoliation, GO reduction, and PTFE incorporation, thereby eliminating the need for multi‐step processing or harsh environments. The resulting films exhibit tunable thickness, morphology, and composition, governed by EATS power density and duration. EATS enables spatially selective patterning without the need for complex lithographic techniques. The versatility of EATS is demonstrated through the direct fabrication of functional devices: (i) hydrophobic coatings with contact angles tunable from 44.3° to 109.8°, (ii) triboelectric nanogenerators achieving 10.11 mW cm −3 power density with <2.8% variation over 10 000 cycles, and (iii) humidity sensors exhibiting a 3.56% sensing error across 50–100% relative humidity. These results establish EATS as a powerful, lithography‐free fabrication platform for multifunctional thin‐film devices, offering a generalizable strategy for next‐generation electronics.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 38, Issue 27
Published May 01, 2026
ISSN 0935-9648
Publisher Unknown Publisher

Journal Info

Advanced Materials

Unknown Publisher

ISSN: 0935-9648 Physical Sciences

Authors (10)

B

Byungseok Seo

The NUANCE Center Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA

Y

Yong Choi

School of Mechanical Engineering Korea University Seoul Republic of Korea

G

Gajendra S. Shekhawat

The NUANCE Center Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA

M

Minjoong Shin

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA

K

Kunmo Koo

The NUANCE Center Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA

X

Xiaobing Hu

J

Jiheon Kim

Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea

W

Wonjoon Choi

School of Mechanical Engineering Korea University Seoul Republic of Korea

X

Xinqi Chen

V

Vinayak P. Dravid

Department of Materials Science & Engineering