Melting temperature of graphene

TL;DR

This paper introduces a nucleation theory-based approach to determine the melting temperature of graphene, supported by atomistic simulations, revealing it to be approximately 4510 K, making graphene highly refractory.

Contribution

The paper provides a novel nucleation theory framework for defining and calculating graphene's melting temperature, validated by atomistic Monte Carlo simulations.

Findings

Melting temperature of graphene is approximately 4510 K.

Graphene's melting temperature is about 250 K higher than graphite.

Graphene is likely the most refractory material known.

Abstract

We present an approach to the melting of graphene based on nucleation theory for a first order phase transition from the 2D solid to the 3D liquid via an intermediate quasi-2D liquid. The applicability of nucleation theory, supported by the results of systematic atomistic Monte Carlo simulations, provides an intrinsic definition of the melting temperature of graphene, $ T_m $, and allows us to determine it. We find $T_m \simeq 4510$ K, about 250 K higher than that of graphite using the same interatomic interaction model. The found melting temperature is shown to be in good agreement with the asymptotic results of melting simulations for finite disks and ribbons of graphene. Our results strongly suggest that graphene is the most refractory of all known materials.