Graphene and Graphene Oxide: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 22; no. 35; pp. 3906 - 3924
• Main Authors: Zhu, Yanwu, Murali, Shanthi, Cai, Weiwei, Li, Xuesong, Suk, Ji Won, Potts, Jeffrey R., Ruoff, Rodney S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 15.09.2010; WILEY‐VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Carbon - chemistry; Mechanical Phenomena; Nanocomposites - chemistry; Optical Phenomena; Oxides - chemical synthesis; Oxides - chemistry; Temperature
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201001068

There is intense interest in graphene in fields such as physics, chemistry, and materials science, among others. Interest in graphene's exceptional physical properties, chemical tunability, and potential for applications has generated thousands of publications and an accelerating pace of research, making review of such research timely. Here is an overview of the synthesis, properties, and applications of graphene and related materials (primarily, graphite oxide and its colloidal suspensions and materials made from them), from a materials science perspective. The synthesis, properties, and applications of graphene and graphene oxide‐based materials are reviewed in this article. Graphene can be synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (e.g., on Cu, Figure a) and graphene oxide is a precursor for other graphene‐based materials (e.g., “paper”, Figure b). Graphene shows exceptional physical properties (e.g., high thermal conductivity, as measured by using the device in Figure c) and may be used in future high‐performance electronic devices (e.g., single electron transistor, Figure d), among other possible applications.