In need of carbon super thin layer? Graphene buy may be a solution but you can prepare it yourself

For electronic and computing devices is needed graphene of highest quality. Such graphene is a sheet only one atom thick and at the same time very tough and stretchy.

Graphene is not widely used yet because of its costly fabrication and high price. Although in this article, Richard Branson expects that in 10 years, graphene will be the leading material in aviation industry.

Graphene of our own production (several layer thick) could be good enough for the first cognition and understanding of this world-wide celebrated material. On the first occasion, our leader was against that sort of toying and his behavior was far from friendly. Finally, when he saw our frenzy and heard our explication, he blessed us, although he was not much convinced with the design of our funny experiment.

How graphene can help us with our work

Graphene comes handy in cases when ultrathin membranes are required. Sometimes, a wet sample is delivered in our lab: a tissue or some type of hydrated gel. The application of electron microscopy on such type of specimen represents a problem.

Samples containing water may be damaged in the vacuum and the observer can’t discern what an artefact is and what a real structure. Dehydration is laborious and in most of cases impracticable without the risk of losing the original features.

Cover such sample with something impermeable and conductive. That would be a good idea!

I was interested in the graphene-self production experiment as well and willing to work on it in my spare-time. Coating samples containing moisture with graphene layer would shorten the time needed for sample preparation (no one loves that small underground room where specimens for electron microscopy are processed).

Graphene isolation from graphite

Graphene was born in the United Kingdom

Scientists Geim and Novoselov from United Kingdom isolated graphene in 2003 using Scotch tape as they peeled off single sheets from graphite. We used the blender method which produced graphene of lower quality (several layers thick on average). It is cheap and enables to produce graphene in large amount. Graphene of higher quality (by blender method unachievable) is excellent candidate for construction of batteries with short time of recharge as you can read here.

Graphene: Do it yourself

We have followed the protocol published in Nature materials. To transform graphite into graphene we used kitchen-blender method. With little chance, we could achieve to get large amounts of graphene flakes of good quality.

All we need was:

• Graphite of any source
• Some kind of detergent
• Powerful blender
• Centrifuge
• Electron microscope

And the result?

In the afternoon, we gathered in festive spirit in electron microscopic room waiting for our boss to evaluate first self-fabricated sheets. And here they were: We observed eyes wide open, the repeating, crystal lattices.

Our first graphene layers were mediocre in quality and size since the amount of detergent in the mixture should be balanced and no one standardized it yet. But for our experimentation, small flakes of graphene suffice. The boss was visibly satisfied, called our work meritorious and encouraged us in future experiments.

Self-manufacturing of graphene is a great challenge for any team. Reproducible protocol still has to be established although events process well and lead to graphene-self-supply. Rumors from different laboratories suggest that owners of graphene companies will end up in tears in the foreseeable future.