Inexpensive Graphene

Since graphene was first isolated in 2004, over 10,000 scholarly articles have been published about this amazing material. One million times thinner than a human hair, yet 100 times stronger than steel, the two-dimensional material also possesses unmatched thermal and electrical properties that make it useful for countless applications in aircrafts, electronics and biotechnology. But more than a decade since its discovery, the processes for manufacturing it are still too costly and complicated for large-scale commercial use.

Now a cost-effective method for synthesizing graphene has been patented that is straightforward and does not require aggressive oxidation, high-energy mixing or the application of sound energy like current techniques do. Instead, graphite is placed in a water-oil interface where it spreads into individual, overlapping graphene sheets. Best of all, because it does not rely on oxidation, the new process produces pristine graphene rather than graphene oxide, which is the form used in most of the previous research. This pure graphene will have even better mechanical, thermal and electrical performance in comparison to oxidized versions.

The team is currently working on a desalination device that will use the new material in a process known as capacitive deionization (CDI) to remove salt from water. The discovery will likely lead to an expansion of new research into additional applications as well.