AAAR 32nd Annual Conference
September 30 - October 4, 2013
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Graphene Synthesis via Controlled Detonation of Hydrocarbons
CHRIS SORENSEN, Arjun Nepal, Gajendra Singh, Bret Flanders, Kansas State University
Abstract Number: 104 Working Group: Nanoparticles and Materials Synthesis
Abstract Graphene is a two dimensional monolayer of sp2 bonded carbon atoms in a hexagonal crystal structure which has been drawing considerable interest because of its unique physical properties. We report a simple, one-step, gas-phase, catalyst-free, high yield method to produce gram quantities of pristine graphene nanosheets (GNs) via controlled detonation of hydrocarbons (e.g. acetylene). The obtained GNs were analyzed by TEM, XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy and etc. The method allows for the control of the number of layers, shape and size of the graphene nanosheets by variation of the oxygen/hydrocarbon ratio. The high temperature of the detonation, ca. 4000K, is proposed as the cause of graphene production rather than normal soot. The process can be scaled up for industrial production.