This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to develop a highly-efficient and cost-effective plasma-based method for graphene mass production. The approach is to utilize unique properties of magnetically controlled arc discharge to couple the plasma production of carbon species and the synthesis of graphene. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to enable the mass production of graphene for energy, electronics, aerospace, mechanical, civil, and biomedical applications. Since it was first created in the lab, graphene has been considered as a wonder material. Its distinctive electronic properties make it a leading candidate to replace silicon in applications ranging from high-speed computer chips to biochemical sensors. However, the mass production of high-yield and low-cost graphene is very challenging. This project is expected to provide a method for producing graphene in a scalable and cost-effective manner, which would make it easier for the wide adoption of graphene in the future. PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH Keidar, M; Shashurin, A; Li, JA; Volotskova, O; Kundrapu, M; Sen Zhuang, T. "Arc plasma synthesis of carbon nanostructures: where is the frontier?," JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS, v.44, 2011. View record at Web of Science Jian Li, Alexey Shashurin and Michael Keidar. "Correlation between Formation of the Plasmas Jet and Synthesis of Graphene in Arc Discharge," IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, v.11, 2011, p. 2366. Levchenko, I; Volotskova, O; Shashurin, A; Raitses, Y; Ostrikov, K; Keidar, M. "The large-scale production of graphene flakes using magnetically-enhanced arc discharge between carbon electrodes," CARBON, v.48, 2010, p. 4570. View record at Web of Science Volotskova, O; Levchenko, I; Shashurin, A; Raitses, Y; Ostrikov, K; Keidar, M. "Single-step synthesis and magnetic separation of graphene and carbon nanotubes in arc discharge plasmas," NANOSCALE, v.2, 2010, p. 2281. View record at Web of Science BOOKS/ONE TIME PROCEEDING A. Shashurin, Y. Raitses, M. Keidar. "Graphene production in magnetically enhanced anodic arc", 07/01/2011-12/31/2011, 2010, "52st Annual Meeting of the Division-of-Plasma-Physics of the American-Physics-Society, Chicago, IL, November 8-12, 2010,". Shashurin, J. Li, Y. Raitses and M. Keidar. "OPTIMIZATION OF GRAPHENE PRODUCTION IN ANODIC ARC", 07/01/2011-12/31/2011, 2011, "Nanotech 2011 Conference and Expo, Boston, MA, June 13-16, 2011". A. Shashurin, Y. Raitses, M. Keidar. "Graphene production in magnetically enhanced anodic arc", 07/01/2010-07/15/2011, 2010, "52st Annual Meeting of the Division-of-Plasma-Physics of the American-Physics-Society, Chicago, IL, November 8-12, 2010,". Shashurin, J. Li, Y. Raitses and M. Keidar. "OPTIMIZATION OF GRAPHENE PRODUCTION IN ANODIC ARC", 07/01/2010-07/15/2011, 2011, "Nanotech 2011 Conference and Expo, Boston, MA, June 13-16, 2011".
