Bulk graphanes synthesized from benzene and pyridine

TL;DR

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of bulk graphanes from benzene and pyridine, revealing their crystalline structure, stability, optical properties, and enhanced mechanical properties compared to graphite.

Contribution

First demonstration of high-pressure high-temperature synthesis of crystalline bulk graphanes from benzene and pyridine with detailed structural and physical characterization.

Findings

Crystalline graphanes with orthorhombic structure and nanometer-sized grains.

Stable up to 500°C with specific optical absorption features.

Mechanical properties approximately twice those of graphite.

Abstract

We report a high-pressure high-temperature synthesis of several millimeter-sized samples of bulk graphanes with the composition C-H(D) from benzene and graphene-derivative C-H-N$_{0.2}$ from pyridine. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and infrared spectroscopy of new materials reveal relatively large (several nanometers in size) crystalline grains of an sp3-bonded graphane lattice (3-cycle-4-step, the orthorhombic structure with Pbca space group and parameters a = 9.5-9.8, b = 8.9-9.1, c = 17.1-17.3 $\AA$). The main hydrogen groups in samples are C-H groups connected by aliphatic bonds. The synthesized graphanes at atmospheric pressure are stable up to 500 C. The macroscopic density of CH samples is 1.5-1.57 g cm$^{-3} $ and the refractive index is 1.78-1.80. The absorption spectra of samples with a high degree of crystallization exhibits a weak absorption maximum at 2.8 eV, which is responsible for the yellow-orange color, large absorption maximum at 4 eV and an absorption edge associated with the width of the optical gap at 5.2 eV. The bulk modulus (30-37 GPa) and shear modulus (15-18 GPa) of the fabricated samples, as well as their hardness (1-1.5 GPa), are about twice as high as the respective values for polycrystalline graphite. The solution of metalorganic complexes in benzene and pyridine makes it possible to obtain doped graphanes, which can have extraordinary electron transport and magnetic properties.