Highly conducting graphene dispersed silicon oxycarbide glasses

In this study, we discuss dense and amorphous silicon oxycarbide ceramic system with a very low sheet resistance (0.1 Omega) at room temperature. Our process incorporates graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) as a nano-filler to enhance the electrical conductivity of the ceramic system. The graphene dispersed ceramic composites have been synthesized by the polymer-to-ceramic route by incorporating GNP in the polymeric stage. Further, spark plasma sintering is carried out to density these composites. The structure of these composites is characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Four-probe electrical conductivity measurement carried out on the pellets revealed bulk electrical conductivity as high as 13 S/cm, which is the highest value reported for the amorphous silicon oxycarbide ceramics. Our studies show that the continuous network of formation of GNP in the glassy matrix is responsible for the high electrical conductivity in these composites.