Carbon Based Materials

Graphene is a two-dimensional, crystalline allotrope of carbon atoms that form a hexagonal lattice structure with a sp2 hybridization. This 96.6% optically transparent material is the strongest known to mankind per unit size with incredible electrical properties and the best heat conductor at room temperature which can lead to many applicable uses in the research and technical industries. With a molecular bond length of 0.142 nanometers and an atomic thickness of 0.345 nanometers, thermal instability is prevented due to its carbon-to-carbon bonds that are so small yet strong. Its tensile strength is far greater than steel at approximately 0.4 GPa while having elastic properties with Young’s Modulus of 500 GPa, much more elastic than rubber.

One of the reasons nanotechnology researchers working towards molecular electronics are so excited about graphene is its electronic properties – it is one of the best electrical conductors on Earth. The unique atomic arrangement of the carbon atoms in graphene allows its electrons to easily travel at extremely high velocity without the significant chance of scattering, saving precious energy typically lost in other conductors.

The impressive intrinsic mechanical properties of graphene, its stiffness, strength and toughness, are one of the reasons that make graphene stand out both as an individual material and as a reinforcing agent in composites.

Graphene is the world's strongest material, and can be used to enhance the strength of other materials. Dozens of researchers have demonstrated that adding even a trace amount of graphene to plastics, metals or other materials can make these materials much stronger - or lighter (as you can use a smaller amount of material to achieve the same strength).

Graphene is the most heat conductive found to date. As graphene is also strong and light, it means that it is a great material for making heat-spreading solutions, such as heat sinks or heat dissipation films

Since graphene is the world's thinnest material, it also extremely high surface-area to volume ratio. This makes graphene a very promising material for use in batteries and supercapacitors. Graphene may enable batteries and supercapacitors (and even fuel-cells) that can store more energy - and charge faster, too.

As graphene is expensive and relatively hard to produce, great efforts are made to find effective yet inexpensive ways to make and use graphene derivatives or related materials. Graphene oxide (GO) is one of those materials - it is a single-atomic layered material, made by the powerful oxidation of graphite, which is cheap and abundant. Graphene oxide is an oxidized form of graphene, laced with oxygen-containing groups. It is considered easy to process since it is dispersible in water (and other solvents). Graphene oxide is not a good conductor, but processes exist to augment its properties. It is commonly sold in powder form, dispersed, or as a coating on substrates.

Reduce Graphene Oxide is a form of graphene that includes oxygen functional groups, and has interesting properties that can be different than those of graphene. By reducing graphene oxide, these oxidized functional groups are removed, to obtain a graphene material. This graphene material is called reduced graphene oxide, often abbreviated to RGO.

The dispersion of graphene in water and some other solvents using surfactants, polymers, and other dispersants is reviewed and results show that nearly completely exfoliated graphene may be obtained at concentrations from 0.001 to 5% by weight in water. The molecular features promoting good dispersion are reviewed.

Super Graphene Nano Scroll is single shot additive of Graphene monolayer modified with GNS – GRAPHENE NANOSCROLLS compounded with GO. Graphene nano scrolls are rolls of Graphene single layer in rolled forms. An emerging material in the carbon family, a Graphene nano scroll (GNS) is composed of tubular scrolled monolayer Graphene and has shown super lubricity and large current sustainability, surpassing the properties of monolayer Graphene