Substrate-free microwave synthesis of graphene: experimental conditions and hydrocarbon precursors

The effects of applied microwave power, gas flow rate and precursor composition on the substrate-free gas-phase synthesis of graphene were investigated. Graphene was produced through the delivery of ethanol droplets into argon plasmas, and a decrease in the flow rate of the gas used to generate the plasmas resulted in the formation of graphitic particles and bulk graphite structures. Carbonaceous soot particles were created by delivering isopropyl alcohol into the reactor, while no solid matter was created from methanol. Increasing the applied microwave power was found to have no effect on the structures of the synthesized materials. These findings indicated that the synthesis of graphene in the gas phase was the result of the slow inception and extremely fast growth of aromatic nuclei in the plasma afterglows.