Scalable Manufacturing Process for Creating Spools of Graphene

摘要

For many researchers, graphene is ideal for use in filtration membranes. A single sheet of graphene resembles atomical-ly thin chicken wire, and is composed of carbon atoms joined in a pattern that makes the material extremely tough and impervious to even the smallest atom: helium. Researchers have developed techniques to fabricate graphene membranes and precisely riddle them with tiny holes, or nanopores, the size of which can be tailored to filter out specific molecules. For the most part, scientists synthesize graphene through a process called chemical vapor deposition, in which they first heat a sample of copper foil and then deposit onto it a combination of carbon and other gases.