Polycrystalline graphene and other two-dimensional materials

TL;DR

This review summarizes recent research on polycrystalline graphene and other 2D materials, focusing on their growth, structure, properties, and potential applications, highlighting ongoing challenges and future research directions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on polycrystalline 2D materials, including insights into grain boundary structures and their impact on material properties.

Findings

Grain boundaries significantly influence electronic, optical, and mechanical properties.

Advances in growth techniques enable larger-area polycrystalline graphene.

Research on other 2D materials like transition metal dichalcogenides is emerging.

Abstract

Graphene, a single atomic layer of graphitic carbon, has attracted intense attention due to its extraordinary properties that make it a suitable material for a wide range of technological applications. Large-area graphene films, which are necessary for industrial applications, are typically polycrystalline, that is, composed of single-crystalline grains of varying orientation joined by grain boundaries. Here, we present a review of the large body of research reported in the past few years on polycrystalline graphene. We discuss its growth and formation, the microscopic structure of grain boundaries and their relations to other types of topological defects such as dislocations. The review further covers electronic transport, optical and mechanical properties pertaining to the characterizations of grain boundaries, and applications of polycrystalline graphene. We also discuss research, still in its infancy, performed on other 2D materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides, and offer perspectives for future directions of research.