Graphene nanosheets: Mechanisms for large-area thin films production. (1st April 2016) - Mylvaganam, Kausala
Abstract: Large scale manufacture of graphene nanosheets (GNS) is one of the greatest challenges. The longitudinal unzipping of carbon nanotubes has created the possibility of large scale production with well-controlled widths. However, this mechanism can only produce ribbons of graphene (GNR). In this work, we have explored new mechanisms and approach for efficiently producing large-area GNS thin films. We show that the GNR/GNS can be functionalized by anion/cation initiators. The resulting negatively and positively charged functionalized GNR/GNS can form large-area thin films through side-by-side and layer-by-layer electrostatic attractions. These findings provide a solid theoretical basis for producing large-area thin films. Graphical abstract: