Testing Graphene Films Produced Through Electrochemical Exfoliation Using Sulfate Electrolytes

Graphene is one of the most commonly researched materials in nanoscience and finding a cheap and efficient method to manufacture it is highly desirable because of its incredible properties. Electrochemical exfoliation involves splitting graphite into graphene by soaking the foil in an electrolyte solution and then providing an electric current. This paper evaluates the extent to which the sulphate electrolyte used in the electrochemical exfoliation process affects the electrical resistance of films created using flakes generated from the reaction. Using the method and conducting an ANOVA test with Tukey HSD Post-Hoc test on the resultant data provides significant and varied results when concerning the electrolyte variety. This implies that changing the quality and speed of the electrolyte reaction has a definitive effect on the resistance of composite films created out of graphene flakes produced from the reaction.

Measurements of the Electrical Conductivity of Monolayer Graphene Flakes Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy

The intrinsic electrical conductivity of graphene is one of the key factors affecting the electrical conductance of its assemblies, such as papers, films, powders, and composites. Here, the local electrical conductivity of the individual graphene flakes was investigated using conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM). An isolated graphene flake connected to a pre-fabricated electrode was scanned using an electrically biased tip, which generated a current map over the flake area. The current change as a function of the distance between the tip and the electrode was analyzed analytically to estimate the contact resistance as well as the local conductivity of the flake. This method was applied to characterize graphene materials obtained using two representative large-scale synthesis methods. Monolayer graphene flakes synthesized by chemical vapor deposition on copper exhibited an electrical conductivity of 1.46 ± 0.82 × 106 S/m. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) flakes obtained by thermal annealing of graphene oxide at 300 and 600 °C exhibited electrical conductivities of 2.3 ± 1.0 and 14.6 ± 5.5 S/m, respectively, showing the effect of thermal reduction on the electrical conductivity of rGO flakes. This study demonstrates an alternative method to characterizing the intrinsic electrical conductivity of graphene-based materials, which affords a clear understanding of the local properties of individual graphene flakes.

Experimental Measurements on the Thermal Conductivity of Glycerol-Based Nanofluids with Different Thermal Contrasts

We report, in this work, our study of the thermal conductivity of high-viscosity nanofluids based on glycerol. Three nanofluids have been prepared with different thermal contrasts, by suspending graphene flakes, copper oxides, or silica nanoparticles in pure glycerol. The nanofluids were thermally characterized at room temperature with the 3ω technique, with low amplitudes of the temperature oscillations. A significant enhancement of the thermal conductivity is found in both the glycerol/copper oxide and the glycerol/graphene flake nanofluids. Our results question the role played by the Brownian motion in the microscopic mechanisms of the thermal conductivity of high-viscosity glycerol-based nanofluids. A similar behavior of the thermal conductivity as a function of the nanoparticle volume fraction was found for all three glycerol-based nanofluids presently investigated. These results could be explained on the basis of fractal aggregation in the nanofluids.

Wide range and highly linear signal processed systematic humidity sensor array using Methylene Blue and Graphene composite

This paper proposes a signal processed systematic 3 × 3 humidity sensor array with all range and highly linear humidity response based on different particles size composite inks and different interspaces of interdigital electrodes (IDEs). The fabricated sensors are patterned through a commercial inkjet printer and the composite of Methylene Blue and Graphene with three different particle sizes of bulk Graphene Flakes (BGF), Graphene Flakes (GF), and Graphene Quantum Dots (GQD), which are employed as an active layer using spin coating technique on three types of IDEs with different interspaces of 300, 200, and 100 µm. All range linear function (0–100% RH) is achieved by applying the linear combination method of nine sensors in the signal processing field, where weights for linear combination are required, which are estimated by the least square solution. The humidity sensing array shows a fast response time (Tres) of 0.2 s and recovery time (Trec) of 0.4 s. From the results, the proposed humidity sensor array opens a new gateway for a wide range of humidity sensing applications with a linear function.