Comprehensive study of laser-synthesized conductive carbon-based materials from commercial polymer films

Laser-scribing technologies provide a sustainable route for carbon-based electronics by reducing reliance on critical metals, eliminating solvents, and minimizing material waste. Laser-induced graphitization is a promising method for producing lightweight, flexible, and conductive graphitic patterns on carbon-rich substrates. However, not all such materials serve as suitable precursors for synthesizing highly conductive structures via photothermal laser processing. Therefore, this work aims to identify the key precursor properties governing the formation of high-quality conductive surfaces. We conducted a comprehensive study of electrically conductive nanocrystalline materials obtained via one-step laser scribing of 17 commercial polymer substrates. We systematically evaluated the intrinsic properties of the precursors, along with the conductivity and structural characteristics of the resulting materials, to identify the factors enhancing conductive carbon formation and assess the degree of graphitization. Our analysis shows that high glass-transition, and both working and melting temperatures strongly correlate with improved graphitization potential, whereas optical transmission and thermal conductivity have minimal influence. Among the tested materials, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polymetaphenylene isophthalamide (PMIA), polyethersulfone (PES), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and polysulfone (PSU) successfully formed electrically conductive carbon-based structures, achieving sheet resistances as low as 2.4 Ω sq -1 for PSU and 5.0 Ω sq -1 for PMIA. Finally, Joule-heating devices (4 cm² active area) fabricated from these high-performance materials for practical thermal applications exhibited effective thermal resistances up to 45.5 K/W. These findings provide a predictive framework for precursor selection and better understanding of the resulting laser-synthetized nanocrystalline materials, supporting the development of next-generation flexible, low-impact, and sustainable electronic technologies.