Laser Graphene Balls
Project Overview
University
Year
About
Graphene can improve energy storage, but its flat sheets tend to stack together, reducing the surface available for electrochemical reactions. Project Laser Graphene Balls uses a rapid, one-step laser process to turn commercially available precursors into self-assembled spherical graphene structures without templates, catalysts, binders or harsh chemicals. The same process secures the balls directly onto laser-textured nickel foam, creating durable electrodes with efficient electrical contact. This scalable approach could support longer-lasting energy-storage devices and wider applications in coatings, catalysis and advanced materials.
Team
Rasha Diab
Rasha Diab is a senior PhD candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at the American University of Sharjah, specializing in the design and synthesis of advanced carbon and porous materials. Her research explores ultrafast laser processing to engineer functional materials with tailored structures and properties through more sustainable and resource-efficient fabrication approaches. Her work spans porous organic polymers, laser-induced graphene composites, and standalone spherical graphene, with applications in energy storage, environmental remediation, and biomedical systems. She is also a first-named inventor on a U.S. provisional patent for her graphene-ball technology (No. 63/970,974).
Oussama El Kadri
Dr. El-Kadri’s research focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of advanced porous materials for environmental and energy applications. Over the past 15 years, he has published extensively on novel porous organic materials for gas separation, capture, and storage. His recent research has expanded to the use of femtosecond laser processing and surface structuring to develop and enhance functional materials for energy and environmental applications, integrating advanced laser fabrication techniques with porous-material design and characterization.
Mohammad Al-Sayah
Mohammad Al-Sayah is a Professor of Chemistry at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) and leads the Advanced Functional Nanomaterials Research Group (AFNano). His interdisciplinary work focuses on functional polymers and nanomaterials for biomedical, environmental, sensing, and drug-delivery applications, with an emphasis on translating materials design into practical solutions. He has also spent sabbatical periods at Harvard University and MIT, expanding his research experience and collaborations. He has established extensive national and international collaborations, supervised multidisciplinary graduate research, and contributed to patented technologies. His work has received multiple awards and competitive research funding.