Graphene growth from liquid precursors and its initial stages
Nicola LISI (ENEA)
The CVD growth of graphene on metal foils from gases other than methane offers several potential advantages.
Using the vapours of selected liquid precursors can bring some advantages from the process point, leading to simpler, more portable and safer growth equipment. Yet it also allows the growth of 2D carbonaceous films with a wider range of characteristics.
In the case of Ethanol the catalytic growth onto the copper surface is influenced by the surface interaction chemistry of the molecules allowing a significantly more efficient growth and faster substrate coverage, while a quality comparable to methane grown graphene can be achieved.
The use of liquids containing atoms other than carbon can lead to the growth of "doped" graphene as in the case of Pyridine which allowed the synthesis of N doped graphene. Other aspects of graphene growth and processing are presented.
