Structuring and functionalisation of chemical vapour deposited graphene

Abstract

Graphene has fascinated researchers since its discovery in 2004 due to its extraordinary physical, electrical and optical properties. In order to exploit its potential for industrial applications, the mass production of graphene must be optimised. One of the most promising methods for large-scale synthesis is chemical vapour deposition (CVD), which produces high-quality graphene films on a metallic substrate. For most applications, the graphene must subsequently be transferred from the metal to its target substrate using a polymer-assisted transfer process. This thesis presents the structuring and non-covalent functionalisation of CVD graphene through the modification of the polymer-assisted trans fer process. The introduction of folds and wrinkles into a graphene sheet alters its chemical and electronic properties, and its surface chemistry can be altered by the introduction of functional groups through covalent or non covalent functionalisation. This tailoring of graphene’s physical and chemical properties is important for applications in electronics and sensors.