Paper GR+TF+NS-ThA7
Simple and Scalable Route for the ‘Bottom-Up’ Synthesis of Few-Layer Graphene Platelets and Thin Films

Thursday, November 3, 2011, 4:00 pm, Room 208

Graphene has generated much interest owing to its exceptional electronic properties and high mechanical strength. This has enabled new types of electronic devices and composite materials to be envisaged. The main problem is the availability of the material and the difficulties associated with its synthesis. Here we present a simple, convenient and scalable chemical vapour deposition method involving metal alkoxides in ethanol to produce few-layer graphene platelets. The graphene platelets have been fully characterised using TEM, SEM, AFM, XPS and XRD. The methodology used has the added flexibility in that it can be used to grow conducting transparent thin films on inert substrates such as silicon wafer and quartz glass. Importantly, no heavy metal catalysts were required to produce the few-layer graphene platelets or graphene films and all non-carbon by-products are soluble in water.