Reactive laser powder bed fusion processing to create graphitic aerogels for energy applications (Keynote Presentation)

Laser powder bed fusion is widely recognized as a powerful method for building high-temperature materials into complex 3D architectures with precise control and digital programmability. Traditionally, this process preserves the chemistry of the starting powders through simple melting and resolidification. In our work, we take a different approach—using the laser not only for shaping but also to drive chemical transformations in a precursor powder, creating new multiscale structures and material properties. Specifically, we demonstrate the fabrication of graphitic aerogels (GAs) by combining powder bed fusion with localized pyrolysis of hemoglobin, a protein-rich biowaste. This process enables direct writing of monolithic GAs with centimeter-scale dimensions and provides control over the micro and nanoscale structure of the material. By leveraging the layer-by-layer nature of powder bed fusion, we can design hierarchically porous architectures with tunable properties across multiple length scales and show how these materials deliver exceptional energy storage characteristics in 3D printed supercapacitor applications.