Graphene nanosheets: Mechanisms for large-area thin films production

Abstract

Large scale manufacture of graphene nanosheets (GNS) is one of the greatest challenges. The longitudinal unzipping of carbon nanotubes has created the possibility of large scale production with well-controlled widths. However, this mechanism can only produce ribbons of graphene (GNR). In this work, we have explored new mechanisms and approach for efficiently producing large-area GNS thin films. We show that the GNR/GNS can be functionalized by anion/cation initiators. The resulting negatively and positively charged functionalized GNR/GNS can form large-area thin films through side-by-side and layer-by-layer electrostatic attractions. These findings provide a solid theoretical basis for producing large-area thin films.