Bilayer Graphene Nanoflakes Grown by Thermal Inductively Coupled Plasma
Enric Bertran-Serra a b, Arevik Musheghyan-Avetisyan c, Stefanos Chaitoglou a b, Roger Amade a b, José-Luis Andújar a b, Angel Perez-del-Pino c, Eniko Giorgy c, Rogelio Ospina a d, Ghulam Farid a, Yang Ma a
a ENPHOCAMAT, Dep. Applied Physics, Univ. Barcelona, Martí I Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
b IN2UB, Universitat De Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
c ICMAB-CSIC, Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
d Escuela de Física, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Carrera 27 calle 9 Ciudad Universitaria Bucaramanga, Colombia
Materials for Sustainable Development Conference (MATSUS)
Proceedings of MATSUS Spring 2024 Conference (MATSUS24)
#MatInter - Materials and Interfaces for emerging electrocatalytic reactions
Barcelona, Spain, 2024 March 4th - 8th
Organizers: Marta Costa Figueiredo and María Escudero-Escribano
Poster, Enric Bertran-Serra, 247
Publication date: 18th December 2023

One of the keys to produce a very large specific surface area on a planar substrate is the use of 3D carbon nanostructures (vertical graphene nanowalls, VGNW) on a planar substrate, as a growth template for the growth of electrochemically active materials, such as for example, transition metal oxides (TMO). VGNF can achieve a very large specific surface area of up to 1100 m2/g. This value is comparable to or greater than that of carbon nanotubes, which is the reference material for use in high-performance supercapacitors or in other power-related applications that require a large active surface area. VGNF exhibit high vertical and in-plane electrical conductivity when deposited on metal electrodes, which benefits their use in electrochemical applications. We focus the discussion on the growth of VGNF on flexible stainless steel (SS310) substrates, in principle suitable for applications to electrodes of electrochemical systems (batteries, supercapacitors, catalysts). VGNF/SS310 samples were grown by inductively coupled plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) of methane, as a carbon precursor, in a wide range of temperatures (575 to 900°C). Although the graphene nanostructures usually reported are generally multilayer, we want to highlight the effect of temperature on the number of atomic layers of VGNF. At 700‑750ºC, in the plasma conditions we have explored, VGNFs are bilayer, which directly affects the magnitude of their specific surface area. Raman spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy provide the VGNF structural and morphological characteristics. The exceptional specific surface area of VGNFs up to 1100 m2/g hold promise for a diverse range of applications. The versatility of vertical graphene nanowalls opens up a spectrum of possibilities across various scientific and technological domains. Beyond their application in electrochemical systems, these nanostructures exhibit characteristics that make them suitable for a wide array of innovative applications, contributing to advancements in: 1) Energy Storage Devices: Apart from supercapacitors and batteries, VGNF can enhance the performance of other energy storage devices like fuel cells. The high specific surface area provides more active sites for electrochemical reactions, potentially improving energy conversion and storage efficiency. 2) Catalysis: The unique structural properties of VGNF make them suitable candidates for catalytic applications. The large surface area and the presence of transition metal oxides (TMO) can catalyze various chemical reactions, making VGNF valuable in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. 3) Sensors: The sensitivity of VGNF to changes in their environment, coupled with their high conductivity, makes them promising candidates for sensor applications. These can include gas sensors, biosensors, or environmental sensors, where their structural versatility can be tailored for specific sensing needs. 4) Electronics and Flexible Devices: Given their high vertical and in-plane electrical conductivity, VGNF can find applications in electronic devices, particularly in flexible electronics. Incorporating VGNF into flexible substrates could open up new possibilities for wearable electronics and flexible displays. 5) Water Purification: The large surface area and unique structure of VGNF make them potential candidates for water purification technologies. They can be employed for adsorption or catalytic degradation of pollutants, contributing to the development of efficient water treatment systems. 6) Biomedical Applications: The biocompatibility of graphene-based materials makes VGNF candidates for biomedical applications. They can be explored for drug delivery systems, biosensing platforms, or as substrates for cell growth in tissue engineering. 7) Photovoltaics: The conductive and high surface area properties of VGNW make them interesting for applications in photovoltaic devices. They can enhance the efficiency of solar cells by providing a larger interface for light absorption and charge separation.

This work is funded by Grant PID2020-116612RB-C32 provided by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033, in conjunction with financial support from the “European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR. The authors acknowledge financial support from Grant PID2020-116612RB-C31, PDC2021-121868-C21 and PDC2021-121868-C22, TED2021-132070B-C21 and TED2021-131442B-C33 funded by the Spanish program MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and, as appropriate, by “ERDF A way of making Europe”, by the “European Union” or by the “European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR”. The ENPHOCAMAT group acknowledges support from the AGAUR of Generalitat de Catalunya, Project No. 2017SGR1086. The author (A.M.) acknowledges the financial supports from APIF grant from Universitat de Barcelona. The author (S.C.) acknowledges support from the postdoctoral fellowhips programme Beatriu de Pinós, funded by the Secretary of Universities and Research (Government of Catalonia) and by the Horizon 2020 programme of research and innovation of the European Union under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 801370 (H2020-MSCA-COFUND-2017). The author (R.O.) acknowledges the financial support from the Requalification of the Spanish University System 2021-23 program funded by the Next Generation EU program through the Ministry of Universities of Spanish Government.

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