Academic English for Materials Science and Technology

Project

University of Crete
Department of Materials Science and Technology
Module leader: Emmanouil Sisamakis
Student: Giavasian Karampet 1795

Gram-scale bottom-up flash graphene

synthesis
Table of Contents
Glossary................................................................................................................................................3
Rationale...............................................................................................................................................7
Mini-Summaries / Paraphrased Paragraphs..........................................................................................8
Abstract............................................................................................................................................8
Main.................................................................................................................................................8
Methods...........................................................................................................................................9
Main Summary.....................................................................................................................................9
Critical Analysis.................................................................................................................................10
Summary of the supplementary article..........................................................................................10
Article Comparison........................................................................................................................10
References...........................................................................................................................................11
Appendices.........................................................................................................................................13
(1) Main article..............................................................................................................................13
(2) Secondary article......................................................................................................................20
 Glossary

Scientific Terminology English Definition Greek Translation

Graphene An extremely electrically Γραφένιο
conductive form of carbon
that is composed of single
flat sheet of carbon atoms
arranged in a repeating
hexagonal lattice
Sonication Disruption by exposure to Υποβολή/Έκθεση σε υπέρηχο
high-frequency sound waves
Oxidation Process to charge (a Οξείδωση
compound) by increasing the
proportion of the
electronegative part or charge
(an element or ion) from a
lower to a higher positive
valence
Exfoliation To cast off in scales, laminae, Αποφολίδωση
or splinters
Turbostratic Describing a crystal structure Στροβοστρωματικός
in which basal planes have
slipped out of alignment
Raman Spectroscopy A spectroscopic technique, Φασματοσκοπία Raman
relying upon inelastic
scattering of photons, used to
determine vibrational modes
of molecules
Moiré Pattern An interference pattern Μοτίβα Moire
produced by overlaying
similar but slightly offset
templates
Petroleum Coke A solid nonvolatile residue Οπτάνθρακας
which is obtained as the final
still product in the distillation
of crude petroleum and
whose purity makes it
desirable for metallurgical
processes, for carbon
electrodes, and as fuel
Anthracite A hard natural coal of high Ανθρακίτης
luster differing from
 bituminous coal in containing
little volatile matter and in
burning very cleanly
X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) A technique using X-Ray Περίθλαση Ακτινών Χ σε
diffraction on powder or σκόνη
microcrystalline samples for
structural characterisation of
materials
Transmission electron microscopy A conventional electron Ηλεκτρονική Μικροσκοπία
(TEM) microscope which produces Μετάδοσης
an image of a cross-sectional
slice of a specimen all points
of which are illuminated by
the electron beam at the same
time
Humic acid Any of various organic acids Χουμικό οξύ
obtained from humus
Biochar A form of charcoal that is Ξυλάνθρακας
produced by exposing
organic waste matter to heat
in a low-oxygen environment
Oligomer A polymer or polymer Ολιγομερές
intermediate containing
relatively few structural units
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) A tough thermoplastic resin Τερεφθαλικό πολυαιθυλένιο
used especially in the
manufacture of plastic
containers
Pyrolysis Chemical change brought Πυρόλυση
about by the action of heat
Inductor A device used to introduce Πηνίο επαγωγής
reactance into an alternating-
current circuit
Capacitor A device that is used to store Πυκνωτής
electrical energy
Diode An electronic device that has Δίοδος
two electrodes or terminals
and is used especially as a
rectifier
Oscillatory Decay The fading of an oscillation Φθίση ταλάντωσης
AB-Stacking A form of bilayer stacking Δι-στιβάδα
where half of the atoms lie
directly over the center of a
hexagon in the lower
graphene sheet
NVT (Canonical ensemble,N for The statistical ensemble that Κανονική κατανομή
molecules, V for volume, T for represents the possible states
temperature) of a mechanical system in
thermal equilibrium with a
heat bath at a fixed
temperature
Supernatant The usually clear liquid Υπερκείμενο (υγρό)
overlaying material deposited
by settling, precipitation, or
centrifugation
Polypropylene Any of various thermoplastic Πολυπροπυλένιο
plastics or fibers that are
polymers of propylene
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) A polymer of vinyl chloride Πολυβινυλοχλωρίδιο
used especially for electrical
insulation, films, and pipes
Polyethylene Any of various partially Πολυαιθυλένιο
crystalline lightweight
thermoplastics that are
resistant to chemicals and
moisture, have good
insulating properties, and are
used especially in packaging
and insulation
Volatile Readily vapourisable at a Πτητικός
relatively low temperature
Blackbody radiation The characteristic thermal Ραδιενέργεια μελανού
radiation emitted by a σώματος
blackbody, which is an ideal
body or surface that
completely absorbs all
radiant energy falling upon it
with no reflection, when
heated
Photoelectron An electron released in Φωτο-ηλεκτρόνιο
photoemission
Thermogravimetry The determination of weight Θερμοβαρυμετρία
changes in a substance at a
high temperature or during a
gradual increase in
temperature
AIREBO A function for calculating the Προσαρμοζόμενο διαμοριακό
potential energy of covalent αντιδρά
bonds and the interatomic
force (REBO). AIREBO is an
adaptive intermolecular
reactive bond order model.
Macroporosity The quality of having pores Μακροπορώδους
of a size greater than 50
nanometres
Centrifugation The process of using Φυγοκέντρηση
centrifugal force for
separating substances of
different densities
Colloid A substance that consists of Κολλοειδές
particles dispersed
throughout another substance
which are too small for
resolution with an ordinary
light microscope but are
incapable of passing through
a semipermeable membrane
Pluronic A tradename of poloxamers Πλουρόνικ (πολοξαμερές)
which are nonionic triblock
copolymers composed of a
central hydrophobic chain of
polyoxopropylene flanked by
two hydrophilic chains of
polyoxyethylene.
Catalyst A substance that enables a Καταλύτης
chemical reaction to proceed
at a usually faster rate or
under different conditions
than otherwise possible
Dispersibility The quality of being Διασπορικότητα
dispersible
Amplification The act of expansion by the Ενίσχυση
use of detail or by closer
analysis
Polyacrylonitrile A polymer of acrylonitrile Πολυακρυλονιτρίλιο
used often as fibers
Spectroscopy The process or technique of Φασματοσκοπία
using a spectroscope or
spectrometer
 Rationale

This article titled “Gram-scale bottom-up flash graphene synthesis”, attributed to Duy X. Luong,
Ksenia V. Bets, Wala Ali Algozeeb, Michael G. Stanford, Carter Kittrell, Weiyin Chen, Rodrigo V.
Salvatierra, Muqing Ren, Emily A. McHugh, Paul A. Advincula, Zhe Wang, Mahesh Bhatt, Hua
Guo, Vladimir Mancevski, Rouzbeh Shahsavari, Boris I. Yakobson & James M. Tour (Nature 577,
647–651 (2020).), seems ideal for the Academic English II project.

The main reason of this article’s selection is the fact that it tackles the production procedure of the
promising material, that is graphene, via more ecological routes, without the use of orgranic
methods and heavy chemicals.
Using this novel method of graphene generation, named “Flash Graphene”, any carbon source could
be used as a resource, including wasted food and recyclable, carbon-rich, materials. By applying
flash Joule heating to the selected material, gram-scale quantities of graphene can be created, which
will also exhibit turbostratic arrangement between the graphene layers, making the extraction of a
single layer easier. No solvents, reactive gases or ovens were used during this process.

Furthermore, flash graphene yields, which is dependent on the raw material, vary between 80% and
90% with 99% of produced material purity. An estimate of the total electricity used is at 7.2 kJ/g,
which also signals the potential for bulk, industrial, “en-masse”, use of this “flash” process. In
conclusion, flash graphene is an upcoming material, created through novel methods, featuring an
ecological edge over traditional ones.
 Mini-Summaries / Paraphrased Paragraphs

Abstract

Graphene—the two-dimensional sheet form of carbon—exhibits remarkable properties, including

an electron mobility in excess of 200,000 cm2V-1s-1, suggesting promising applications in
electronics, energy, sensors, composites and more. However, most previous work has produced
graphene from bulk highly-oriented pyrolitic graphite by micromechanical cleavage or other
“delamination” methods, typically producing quantities too small for nanomanufacturing and
harmful for the environment, in case of chemical use. The ability to produce large quantities of
graphene from nongraphitic precursors with a scalable, low-cost approach is a significant step
towards real-world applications of graphene.A flash joule heating process is introduced, to prepare
high quality graphene from any carbon sources. The process is termed “flash graphene” and it has
an scaling potential. This could greatly affect the selling price of graphene, lowering it to a price-
point so that it could become an additive in large-scale commodity materials such as even asphalt
and concrete.

Main

Through a Flash Joule Heating process amorphous carbon sources can be turned into what is called
“Flash Graphene”. The quality and purity of the product is determined by analysis through Raman
spectroscopy and XRD pattern analysis. The results show an elevated spacing between the graphene
sheets, when compared to regular AB-stacked graphene. Furthermore, symmetry is absent in FG,
which showcases the turbostratic nature of the product. Carbon black, calcine coke, anthracite and
coffee grounds were used as raw material in these processes, exhibiting similar stats in most
important areas, for characterisation, such as yield of graphene which varied from 80%-90% . In the
case of coffee grounds, a small amount of carbon black was added to the mixture to enhance
conductivity since coffee contains about 40% carbon (in carbohydrate form), with the result being
similar. It is also noted that other carbon sources can be used in FJH, with the exception of synthetic
polymers producing oligomers, affecting conductivity.
By performing the same process with various admixture samples and altered compression, the
discharge time period and critical temperature per source material can be computed. Through
thermogravimetric analysis it shown that the product is more stable, regarding oxidation, compared
to the production via reduction methods.
Due to the instantaneous growth of FG, in order to have a model, in which researchers can work
with, computer simulations using LAMMPS functions were utilised. Simulating the formation and
structural progress during graphene development it is found that low density materials yield a
porous outcome, while on high density ones graphitisation is noted. Moreover, higher temperatures
are fundamentally accelerating the procedure.
Αs for mass scale production, by increasing the size of the quartz tubes as well as the total material
used, the rest of the parameters can be estimated, having a solid basis on the small scale
calculations.
Generally, FG exhibits greater compressive strength in composite materials, enhanced polymer
properties, again in compressive strength and also are another alternative for electrodes in Li-ion
batteries.

Methods

FJH System: It is a quartz tube with two electrodes compressing the selected raw material, with
controllable strength, allowing degassing. A mechanical relay is also used for programmable
discharge time. All this is inside a low pressure container for safe degassing. The characteristics of
the capacitors and rest electrical stats depend on the scale of the mechanisms and desired amounts
produced.

Characterisation: SEM, TEM, XPS and Raman Spectroscopy were used extensively.

Atomistic modeling: Computational simulations using 15000 atom models per unit cell, and 55000
atom model per unit cell in carbon black, with boundaries set were utilised.

Main Summary
A low-energy bottom-up synthesis of exfoliated turbostratic graphene was demonstrated from
ultralow-cost carbon sources, such as coal and petroleum coke, renewable resources , such as
biochar and rubber tyres and mixed-waste products. Scaling up of the FG synthesis process could
provide turbostratic graphene for bulk construction composite materials. Turbostratic arrangement,
in essence, is the minimal order between the stacked layers, allowing the easier separation of them
and, thus, the more rapid availability for mass production and applications. No purification is
required during the layer separation, since, using Raman spectroscopy, low to no D band
wavelength emissions are present, confirming the purity of novel flash graphene.
 Critical Analysis

Summary of the supplementary article

The title of the supplementary article is “High-responsivity turbostratic stacked graphene

photodetectors using enhanced photogating”. Photodetectors crafted from turbostratic stacked
graphene, apart from elevated responsiveness, exhibit enhanced photogating capabilities.
Photogating, fundamentally, is a means of graphene responsivity enhancement in photodetectors,
proportionally based on carrier mobility. Due to the such high mobility, turbostratic stacked
graphene was preferred while having the same band structure as conventional monolayer graphene.
At wavelength equal to 642mm, the photoresponse was double of that exhibited in conventional
graphene photodetector. Photodetectors as such are fabricated also using a layer of SiO 2 , with the
procedures being extensively analysed.

Article Comparison

In the main article, it gets emphasised that low cost, recyclable raw materials which include carbon
in high concentration, can be used in grapehene fabrication with turbostratic alignment. Such
turbostratic alignment has proliferated carrier mobility, among other characteristics AB stacked,
regular, monolayer graphene features as well. It is also shown in the secondary article that this
elevated responsivity of these turbostratic stacked CVD graphene photodetectors is attributed to the
high mobility obtained by maintaining a linear band dispersion as well as a reduction in the carrier
scattering by SiO2. Thus it is proved that turbostratic flash graphene, created via the FJH method,
can be used for such photosensors, with optimal results.
 References

(1)
Duy X. Luong, Ksenia V. Bets, Wala Ali Algozeeb, Michael G. Stanford, Carter Kittrell, Weiyin
Chen, Rodrigo V. Salvatierra, Muqing Ren, Emily A. McHugh, Paul A. Advincula, Zhe Wang,
Mahesh Bhatt, Hua Guo, Vladimir Mancevski, Rouzbeh Shahsavari, Boris I. Yakobson & James M.
Tour, (2020), Gram-scale bottom-up flash graphene synthesis, Nature, Volume 577, pp.647-651 in
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-1938-0 (Accessed in 22/02/2020)

(2)
Masaaki Shimatani, Naoki Yamada, Shoichiro Fukushima, Satoshi Okuda, Shinpei Ogawa, Takashi
Ikuta & Kenzo Maehashi, (2019), High-responsivity turbostratic stacked graphene photodetectors
using enhanced photogating, Applied Physics Express, Volume 12, Number 12 in
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.7567/1882-0786/ab5096 (Accessed in 16/03/2020)
 Appendices
(1) Main article
(2) Secondary article