Graphene chemically synthesized from benzene at liquid–liquid interfaces. (November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Salvatierra, Rodrigo V.; Souza, Victor H.R.; Matos, Carolina F.; Oliveira, Marcela M.; Zarbin, Aldo J.G.
• Is Part Of: Carbon. Volume 93(2015)
• Page Start: 924
• Page End: 932
• Publication Date: 2015-11
• Subjects: Carbon -- Periodicals; Carbone -- Périodiques; Koolstof; Toepassingen; Electronic journals; 546.681
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2015.06.016
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-6223

Abstract

Abstract: Herein, we report the total chemical synthesis of graphene assembled at a liquid–liquid interface through a chemical reaction starting from benzene as a monomer. The reaction occurs at the benzene/water liquid interface, taking advantage of the insoluble material (the growing graphene structures) assembling as a film, which allows a heterogeneous reaction with the precipitated material and a molecular construction of large graphene sheets ( ca. 800 nm 2 or larger). A two-step polymerization mechanism has been proposed, involving the initial polymerization of benzene to poly-paraphenylene (PPP) and/or its oligomers, followed by subsequent Scholl reaction between disconnected aryl rings to graphene.