preview

The Theory Of Graphene On Science And Future Electronic Technology

Good Essays

Graphene is a recently isolated allotrope of carbon, consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged into an inter-connected benzene-ring structure (Figure 1).1 Resembling a hexagonal honeycomb lattice or a chain-link fence in structure, graphene is only one atom thick and is thus considered a two-dimensional material.1 It is currently touted as the thinnest, strongest, lightest, most flexible and best conducting material known to science.2 Although some of this is based on theoretical data (extrapolated from real samples with inevitable intrinsic defects compared to a perfect sample), these notable qualities drive graphene research at a relentless pace and imply applications that could revolutionize computer electronics and future …show more content…

True 2D graphene must be “sufficiently isolated from its environment to be considered free-standing”, which was considered to be thermodynamically impossible.3 It was successfully isolated by Geim and Novoselov in 2004 using the “Scotch-tape method”, a technique involving mechanical exfoliation (repeated peeling) of a graphite sample until a single-layer film was produced.2 This 2D film features a hexagonal, honey-comb lattice of covalently bonded carbon atoms (Figure 2) exhibiting nanometer-scale corrugations and is the thinnest material ever isolated.3
a) b)

Figure 2. a) Scanning probe microscopic image of graphene using a scanning tunnelling microscope for imaging surfaces at the atomic level (U.S. Army Materiel Command, 2012) b) ADF-STEM image of graphene structure9

The synthesis of graphene, beyond the “Scotch-tape method” of mechanical exfoliation has proven somewhat complicated, with a primary focus on isolating samples with a minimal density of defects and high carrier mobility.9 Different methods produce varying mobility, though mechanical exfoliation proves to be one of the most effective (mobility = μ =

Get Access