Graphene

Graphene physically acts as a 2-Dimensional material.

This leads to many properties that are electrially
beneficial, such as high electron moblity and lowered
power usage. Graphene is currently in its infant stages
and is undergoing many applications and studies.
Jared Johnson & Jason Peltier
April 30th

Introduction

What is Graphene

Discovery

Electrical Properties

Mechanical Strength

Optical Properties

Applications

Devices

What is Graphene

2-dimensional, crystalline
allotrope of carbon

Allotrope: property of
chemical elements to
exist in two or more
forms

Single layer of graphite

Honeycomb
(hexagonal) lattice
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Graphen.jpg/750px-Graphen.jpg

Graphene vs Other
Allotropes

Graphene - Top Left

Graphite - Top Right

Nanotube - Bottom Left

Fullerene - Bottom Right

http://graphene.nus.edu.sg/content/graphene

Discovery

Studies on graphite layers

for past hundred years

Graphene theory first

explored by P.R. Wallce
(1947)

Andre Geim & Kontantin

Novoselov Nobel Peace
Prize (2010)

Physics observed using

TEM

http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/File:Graphit
e.jpg

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8043355/NobelPrize-for-Physics-won-by-Andre-Geim-and-Konstantin-Novoselov.html

Electronic Structure

First Brillouin Zone (red)

Second Brillouin Zone

(yellow)

Six corners of first

Brillouin zone called Dirac
points (also called K
points)

Electrons and holes called

Dirac fermions

http://www.doitpoms.ac.uk/tlplib/brillouin_zones/zone_construction.php

Electronic Structure

Dirac Points are the transition

between the valence band and the
conduction band

The six Dirac points can be divided

into to two in-equivalent sets of
three (K and K'), represented by the
black and white dots on part (a)

The points within each set are all

equivalent because they can reach
each other by reciprocal lattice
vectors
Part (b) shows that the dispersion
relation close to the K points looks
like the energy spectrum of
massless Dirac particles

http://ej.iop.org/images/0034-4885/75/5/056501/Full/rpp342429f06_online.jpg

Electrical Properties

The Fermi level can be changed by

doping to create a material that is
better at conducting electricity

Experimental graphene's electron

mobility is 15,000 cm2/(V*s) and
theoretically potential limits of
200,000 cm2/(V*s)

Graphene electrons are like photons

in mobility due to lack of effective
electron and hole mass

These charge carriers are able to

travel sub-micrometer distances
without scattering

Mechanical Strengths

Bond length is .142 nm long = very strong bond

Strongest material ever discovered

ultimate tensile strength of 130 gigapascals compared to 400

megapascals for structural steel

Very light at 0.77 milligrams per square metre, paper is 1000

times heavier

Single sheet of graphene can cover a whole football field

while weighing under 1 gram

Also, graphene is very flexible, yet brittle (preventing

structural use)

Optical Properties

Absorbs 2.3% white light

Optical electronics absorb

<10% white light

Highly conductive

Strong and flexible

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Graphene_visible.jpg

Photograph of graphene in
transmitted light.

Other Applications

OLED Techonologies

Body Armour

Lightweight Aircraft/vehicles

Photovoltaics

Superconductor/battery

Filtration

http://www.graphenea.com/pages/graphene-usesapplications#.U1c1hFVdV8E

Devices

://www.tgdaily.com/general-sciences-features/61058-team-uses-graphene-film-to-distil-vodka

http://www.simplifysimple.com/index.php?news&nid=15_The-new-look-of-phones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLED

Summary &
Conclusion
Graphene, a singular layer of graphite, has
been discovered to have unique properties.
The high mobility and ability to travel short
distances without scattering makes it one of
the best materials for electrical applications.
Graphene's
mechanical
and
optical
properties also allow its use to go beyond
electrical applications.

References
1. "Allotrope." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotrope>.
2. Cooper, Daniel R. "Experimental Review of Graphene." Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 3
Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2012/501686/>.
3. De La Fuente, Jesus. "Graphene." Graphenea. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.graphenea.com/pages/graphene#.U1xxufldWSo>.
4. Geim, Andre. "Nobel Lecture." Nobel Prize, 8 Dec. 2010. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=1418>.
5. "Graphene." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/graphene>.
6. Neamen, Donald A. Semiconductor Physics and Devices: Basic Principles. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.
7. Roos, Michael. "Intermolecular vs Moleculesubstrate Interactions." Beilstein Journal of
Nanotechnology 2012.2, 365-73. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://www.beilsteinjournals.org/bjnano/single/articleFullText.htm?publicId=2190-4286-2-42>.
8. "Graphene." NUS Graphene Research Centre. National University of Singapore, n.d. Web.
28 Apr. 2014. <http://graphene.nus.edu.sg/content/graphene>.

Last Slide

Graphite had been studied for over a hundred years but

Geim and Novoselov found how to isolate it to be
graphene and some applications for its use

The reason graphene is such a beneficial material is due

to its 2D like nature and short/strong bonds

It has a super high conductivity and an electron mobility

of 15,000 cm2/(V*s)

It is the strongest material ever discovered, however its

brittle nature cannot be used structurally (only to help
reinforce)

One of the most common current uses of graphene is in

OLEDs