Plastic Shavings by Laser: Peeling Porous Graphene Springs for Multifunctional All-Carbon Applications

This study introduced a high-throughput laser-based fabrication strategy to produce free-standing, three-dimensional helical springs composed entirely of porous laser-induced graphene (LIG-S). Using a pyrolytic jetting process, graphene springs with tunable geometry, chirality, and mechanical properties were generated within seconds from polyimide films. Mechanical characterization demonstrated that the LIG-S function as true elastic springs with stable force–strain behavior, high strain tolerance, and excellent cyclic durability over thousands of deformation cycles. The springs also exhibited strain-insensitive electrical conductivity, enabling multifunctional use as mechanical springs, stretchable electrodes, antennas, supercapacitors, gas sensors, and luminescent filaments for robust all-carbon electromechanical systems.