Tailored conversion of synthetic graphite into rotationally misoriented few-layer graphene by a cold thermal shock

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel method to synthesize few-layer graphene with controlled layer numbers from synthetic graphite using cold thermal shock, supported by theoretical modeling of the transformation mechanism.

Contribution

It introduces a new cold thermal shock technique for producing rotationally misoriented few-layer graphene with controlled layers from synthetic graphite.

Findings

Successful synthesis of few-layer graphene with controlled layers.

Mechanistic understanding of the transformation process.

Potential for scalable production of tailored graphene.

Abstract

Following the discovery of graphene, keen attentions have been paid in comprehending the noticeably superior electromagnetic, optical and absorptive properties of few layer graphene (FLG) with rotational-stacking-faults. With achieving intense fundamental interests, the demands to synthesize such FLG are rapidly increasing. However, the potential applications of such FLG, especially in composite science and energy storage devices, are practically hindered because of non-fulfillment of required production rate. Additionally, synthesis of such FLG with controlled layer-numbers still remains an unsolved challenge. Further breakthroughs in this direction are thus highly desirable. The present article is a step ahead in this direction and is possibly the first of its kind. Here we show how such FLG, with precisely controlled number of layers, can readily be obtained from an isostatically compacted synthetic graphite, by controlled dynamic fracture, with microbranching instability, induced by cold-thermal-shock and discovered the mechanism behind such transformation by a theoretical modeling.