Different Types of Graphene: Suitability of Graphene Fabrication Methods for Various Applications

The development of graphene is taking place at a rapid pace. The nanomaterial can produced by many different methods, each of which produces different forms of graphene. These forms have often radically different qualities, which are suited for use in different applications.

This article discusses the different types of graphene, and the suitability of graphene fabrication techniques for various applications. It will also cover the price/quality ratio of the different techniques, which is a key factor in large-scale mass production.

Properties of Graphene

The exotic properties of graphene make it an attractive proposition to develop for use in many different types of device.

Although not all of these devices would exploit the outstanding properties of graphene to their full potential, it is incredible to see the number of applications where the nanomaterial outclasses other standard/incumbent materials, at least on paper.

Some of the properties of graphene are listed in the following table:

Properties Values
Electron mobility (at room temperature) 2.5 x 105cm2 V-1 s-1
Young's Modulus 1TPa
Thermal conductivity > 3000WmK-1
Optical absorption 3%

Moreover, graphene is impermeable to all gases and is capable of sustaining high densities of electric current.

It is worth noting that these values are for very high quality graphene - in practical use, the particular form of graphene used will likely be less performant. Hence, the selection of the most appropriate form and grade of graphene material for the application will be crucial.

Types of Graphene

Liquid Phase and Thermal Exfoliation

Liquid phase and thermal exfoliation both involve splitting up graphite to form graphene flakes - either using chemical solvents or thermal shock.

These methods are very scalable to large-scale production - however, the flakes are usually multilayered, not single layered, and the number of layers can be hard to control. The process can also introduce impurities into the graphene.

It is possible obtain smaller platelets of graphene when carbon nanotubes are used in place of graphite, but this makes the process much more cost- and time-intensive.

Synthesis on Silicon Carbide

Silicon carbide can be used to synthesize graphene layers - when Si atoms are sublimated, the remaining face of the silicon carbide becomes a thin graphite surface. Nowadays, it is possible to control the number of graphene layers and to obtain a very high quality over a wide area.

The high cost of silicon carbide and the requirement for elevated temperatures to achieve the sublimation are the main shortcomings of this process. These factors will perhaps limit graphene made by this method to niche markets, such as metrology resistance standards and high-frequency transistors.

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)

At the moment, CVD is considered to be the best method for fabricating high quality graphene in large quantities. This method involves depositing gaseous carbon atoms on a copper foil, then transferring the graphene film to a wide range of substrates, such as silicon.

The CVD process can be controlled to minimize the amount of defects. Although weak points at grain boundaries, and multi-layer regions are quite common in CVD graphene, they have been shown to have a minimal effect on performance in most cases.

The favorable price/quality ratio makes CVD graphene (Figure 1) suitable for many applications such as flexible/transparent electronics, gas barriers, and anti-corrosion coating.

Quality vs price for different types of graphene

Figure 1. Quality vs price for different types of graphene

Other Types of Graphene

Other types of graphene are also available, including mechanically exfoliated platelets, and graphene films constructed from the bottom up by molecular assembly, but they have a limited set of applications - mainly due to the fact that they can only produce very small platelets or flakes.

Applications of Graphene

Graphene has great potential in many different fields, including photonics, batteries, flexible and transparent electronics, high-frequency transistors, biotechnology, sensors and metrology.

For most of these applications, CVD graphene is the ideal material in terms of cost and quality. Nevertheless, special fabrication techniques may be required in some specialized cases.

For instance, molecular assembly of graphene is a useful process for creating customized components in nanoelectronics. Liquid phase exfoliation is suitable for fabricating graphene inks or paints for use in printed electronics.

About Graphenea

Graphenea is a leading graphene producer for industrial and research needs. Graphenea has developed a leading synthesis and transfer process to obtain high uniformity monolayer graphene films on any substrate.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Graphenea.

For more information on this source, please visit Graphenea.

Citations

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

  • APA

    Graphenea. (2018, July 04). Different Types of Graphene: Suitability of Graphene Fabrication Methods for Various Applications. AZoNano. Retrieved on December 04, 2024 from https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=3785.

  • MLA

    Graphenea. "Different Types of Graphene: Suitability of Graphene Fabrication Methods for Various Applications". AZoNano. 04 December 2024. <https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=3785>.

  • Chicago

    Graphenea. "Different Types of Graphene: Suitability of Graphene Fabrication Methods for Various Applications". AZoNano. https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=3785. (accessed December 04, 2024).

  • Harvard

    Graphenea. 2018. Different Types of Graphene: Suitability of Graphene Fabrication Methods for Various Applications. AZoNano, viewed 04 December 2024, https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=3785.

Comments

  1. Eman Omar Eman Omar United States says:

    what the difference between thermally reduced graphene oxide and graphene nanoplates and graphene nanosheets?

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of AZoNano.com.

Tell Us What You Think

Do you have a review, update or anything you would like to add to this article?

Leave your feedback
Your comment type
Submit

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.