Researchers from Rice University have developed a new technique for producing bulk quantities of one-atom-thick sheets of carbon called graphene. “Chemicals and Chemistry” reported that the researchers used novel cryogenic techniques for electron microscopy to directly image graphene sheets in chlorosulphonic acid, a process where individual layers of graphene in graphite peel apart.
The concentrated solutions of dissolved graphene were then used to make transparent films that were electrically conductive. One future application of such films is for use in touch screens for smart phones, which are currently quite expensive. The new method points to the possibility of making graphene fibers in bulk, a boon for industries that need ultrastrong carbon composites, such as the aerospace, automotive and construction industries.
“Our method yields very pure material, and it is based on bulk fluid processing techniques that have long been used by the chemical industry,” said lead co-author Matteo Pasquali, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and chemistry at Rice University.
