Single- and few-layer graphene growth on stainless steel substrates by direct thermal chemical vapor deposition

TL;DR

This paper presents an economical method for synthesizing single- and few-layer graphene on stainless steel foils using direct thermal chemical vapor deposition with ethanol as a carbon source, analyzing the effects of surface chemistry.

Contribution

It introduces a cost-effective, scalable process for graphene growth on stainless steel, highlighting the influence of elemental species and cooling rate on graphene quality.

Findings

Successful synthesis of single- and few-layer graphene confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.

Surface chemistry analysis reveals elemental influence on graphene growth.

Cooling rate affects surface migration of oxides, impacting graphene formation.

Abstract

Steeping interest on graphene research in basic sciences and applications emphasizes the need for an economical means of synthesizing it. We report a method for the synthesis of graphene on commercially available stainless steel foils using direct thermal chemical vapor deposition. Our method of synthesis and the use of relatively cheap precursors such as ethanol (CH3CH2OH) as a source of carbon and SS 304 as the substrate, proved to be economically viable. Presence of single- and few-layer graphene was confirmed using confocal Raman microscopy/spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic measurements were further used to establish the influence of various elemental species present in stainless steel on graphene growth. Role of cooling rate on surface migration of certain chemical species (oxides of Fe, Cr and Mn) that promote or hinder the growth of graphene is probed. Such analysis of the chemical species present on the surface can be promising for graphene based catalytic research.