A method to produce suspensions of graphene sheets by combining solution-based bromine intercalation and mild sonochemical exfoliation is presented. Ultrasonic treatment of graphite in water leads to the formation of suspensions of graphite flakes. The delamination is dramatically improved by intercalation of bromine into the graphite before sonication. The bromine intercalation was verified by Raman spectroscopy as well as by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations show an almost ten times lower interlayer binding energy after introducing Br2 into the graphite. Analysis of the suspended material by transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM) revealed a significant content of few-layer graphene with sizes up to 30 $mu$m, corresponding to the grain size of the starting material.
We investigate the optical properties of bromine intercalated highly orientated pyrolytic graphite (Br-HOPG) and provide a novel interpretation of the data. We observe new absorption features below 620 meV which are absent in the absorption spectrum of graphite. Comparing our results with those of theoretical studies on graphite, single and bilayer graphene as well as recent optical studies of multilayer graphene, we conclude that Br-HOPG contains the signatures of ultrapure bilayer, single layer graphene, and graphite. The observed supermetallic conductivity of Br-HOPG is identified with the presence of very high mobility (~ 121,000 cm2V-1s-1 at room temperature and at very high carrier density) multilayer graphene components in our sample. This could provide a new avenue for single and multilayer graphene research.
Exposure of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite to bromine vapor gives rise to in-plane charge conductivities which increase monotonically with intercalation time toward values (for ~6 at% Br) that are significantly higher than Cu at temperatures down to 5 K. Magnetotransport, optical reflectivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements confirm that the Br dopes the graphene sheets with holes while simultaneously increasing the interplanar separation. The increase of mobility (~ 5E4 cm^2/Vs at T=300 K) and resistance anisotropy together with the reduced diamagnetic susceptibility of the intercalated samples suggests that the observed supermetallic conductivity derives from a parallel combination of weakly-coupled hole-doped graphene sheets.
Synthesis of graphene with reduced use of chemical reagents is essential for manufacturing scale-up and to control its structure and properties. In this paper, we report on a novel chemical-free mechanism of graphene exfoliation from graphite using laser impulse. Our experimental setup consists of a graphite slab irradiated with an Nd:YAG laser of wavelength 532 nm and 10 ns pulse width. The results show the formation of graphene layers with conformational morphology from electron microscopy and Raman spectra. Based on the experimental results, we develop a simulation set up within the framework of the molecular dynamics that supplies the laser-induced electromagnetic energies to atoms in the graphite slab. We investigate the influence of different laser fluence on the exfoliation process of graphene. The variations in inter-layer interaction energy and inter-layer distance are the confirmative measures for the possible graphene layer formation. The simulation results confirm the exfoliation of a single layer graphene sheet for the laser power ranging from 100x10^(-14) to 2000x10^(-14) J/nm2. With an increase of laser fluence from 2000x10^(-14) to 4000x10^(-14) J/nm2, there is an increase in the graphene yield via the layer-after-layer exfoliation. The bridging bond dynamics between the successive graphene layers govern the possibility of second-layer exfoliation. The experimental and simulation observations are useful and promising for producing chemical-free graphene on a large scale for industrial and commercial applications.
We have investigated epitaxial graphene films grown on SiC(0001) by annealing in an atmosphere of Ar instead of vacuum. Using AFM and LEEM we observe a significantly improved surface morphology and graphene domain size. Hall measurements on monolayer graphene films show a carrier mobility of around 1000 cm^2/Vs at room temperature and 2000 cm^2/Vs at 27K. The growth process introduced here establishes the synthesis of graphene films on a technologically viable basis.
This study examines the potential of superconductivity in transition metal (TM) intercalated bilayer graphene through a systematic study of the electronic and magnetic properties. We determine the electronic structure for all first row TM elements in the stable honeycomb configuration between two layers of graphene using density functional theory (DFT). Through an analysis of the electron density, we assess the induction of the magnetic moment in each case, where a comparison of the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic configurations allow us to ascertain an estimated exchange coupling between the transition-metal elements. By analyzing the electronic properties, we find that the carbon $p$-bands are degenerate with the TM $d$-bands and form an electron pocket below the Fermi energy at the $Gamma-$point. These hybridized bands are analogous to the carbon $p$-band effect that produces superconductivity in intercalated graphite with alkali and alkaline-earth metals. Furthermore, since the bands are hybridized with the TM $d$-bands, their magnetic properties may provide bosonic modes from their spin-coupling to preserve the unique linear dispersion present in monolayer graphene. This study provides a designing route by using TMs for tuning magneto-electric Dirac materials and will encourage future experimental studies to further the fundamental knowledge of unconventional superconductivity.
E. Widenkvist
,D. W. Boukhvalov
,S. Rubino
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(2009)
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"Mild sonochemical exfoliation of bromine-intercalated graphite: a new route towards graphene"
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Danil Boukhvalov W
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