Functionalized graphene grown by oxidative dehydrogenation chemistry

We report on a highly efficient growth of graphene using dehydrogenation of acetylene by an oxidative reaction with carbon dioxide. In few seconds, large-area of copper foil used as catalyst of the reaction is fully covered with graphene. The yield of the reaction can be as high as 0.1%. This method allows the growth of multilayered graphene with misoriented layer stacking. This could be the result of functional (carboxylic, hydroxyl, epoxy) groups, taking the role of catalytic centers, attached to the surface of the layers. The thickness of graphene is controlled by the growth duration. The presence of the functional groups is useful for further chemical manipulations but they have limited impact on the electrical and optical properties of the graphene films. The as-synthesized bilayer graphene has a mobility of positive charge carriers of 2300 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature. The high quality of the oxidative dehydrogenation product makes this process an attractive alternative to produce high quality graphene by chemical vapor deposition.