Observation of novel carbon nanocorals during the synthesis of graphene and investigations on their composition, morphological and structural properties

• Published in: Carbon trends Vol. 17; p. 100411
• Main Authors: Das, Debashree, Gouda, Girish M., Jinesh, K.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2024
• Subjects: Acetylene dehydrogenation; Carbon nanocorals; Chemical vapor deposition; Graphene; Rapid thermal process; Rapid thermal process; Graphene; Chemical vapor deposition; Acetylene dehydrogenation; Carbon nanocorals
• ISSN: 2667-0569; 2667-0569
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cartre.2024.100411

•Novel Innovation: the study introduces the use of acetylene and argon gases for synthesis of carbon nano structures. This marks an instance of absence of hydrogen gas employed for the synthesis of carbon nanostructure. This in-turn expands the repertoire of precursor and carrier gas and opens up new possibilities for tailoring graphitic properties.•Unique experimental Setup: this study presents a simple yet novel approach for synthesizing graphene using a RTP furnace. This method represents a departure from conventional techniques and offers the potential for improved control over growth of carbon nano structures.•Advanced characterization: the analysis of novel CNCs carried out by various characterization techniques including XRD, Raman, XPS, XAES, FESEM and HRTEM. This provides detailed insight into the composition, morphological and structural properties of synthesized CNCs.•Broader Implications: by shedding light on the role of new precursor and carrier gas combination, this work paves the way for tailoring properties of carbon nano structures for a wide range of applications, such as nanoelectronics, composite materials, and energy and hydrogen storage.•Advancement of State-of-the-Art: this paper stands out as it not only introduces a novel carbon nanocorals but also explains their composition, morphological and structural properties by using advanced characterization techniques. The combination of innovative techniques, novel observation, and advanced characterization sets this work apart from past research in the field of graphene and related carbon nano structure synthesis.
Novel carbon nanocorals (CNCs) are observed during the synthesis of graphene on copper substrates by thermal chemical vapor deposition, using precursor gas acetylene (C2H2) and carrier gas argon (Ar). CNCs have unique structure and investigations are carried out on structural and elemental compositions by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray excited Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The graphitic nature of the CNCs is evident from characteristic D, G, and 2D bands obtained from Raman spectrum. Elemental composition analysis by XPS shows presence of sp2 and sp3 hybridized carbon whereas XAES quantifies percentage of sp2 and sp3 hybridized carbon. FESEM micrographs show a uniform distribution of densely packed CNCs throughout the sample, and formation of groups of CNCs with distinct contours on the surface. The cross-sectional FESEM shows stacking of large number of graphene layers with dendrites. HRTEM analysis further supports observations of FESEM and elaborates structural morphology of the CNCs. Synthesis, characterization and analysis of the properties of carbon nanocorals are reported here, for the first time.
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