GUITAR -- Graphitic/graphenic materials from the University of Idaho Thermolyzed Asphalt Reaction

See below for larger graphics of the SEM and photograph.

This page is under construction, last update January 31, 2013

Contact Info: ifcheng@uidaho.edu

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Since its discovery and the related 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics there is much interest in a graphene synthetic method that translates well into large-scale production. To answer this call, a synthetic route was discovered in the PI’s lab. However, instead of pure graphene a new material was discovered. The material is called GUITAR after graphenic/graphitic material from the University of Idaho Thermolyzed Asphalt Reaction. The technique for this material is inexpensive, simple, and rapid. Large quantities of GUITAR can be produced by nearly anyone with equipment that can be found in a general chemistry lab. Starting materials include any organic with boiling and melting points between 80 to 180 ⁰C and sulfur. We have used candle wax, moth balls, and motor oils in conjunction with sulfur as reagents. Roofing tar and even some candy bars also work well. A new class of carbon nanostructures is obtained by conformal deposition onto silica and mineral templates.

No other synthetic technique can produce conformal coatings at low temperatures (600 ⁰C) with such simple equipment. The final products have visual and microscopic characteristics that are similar to other forms of graphene and graphite yet recent results indicate that it has radically different chemical and physical characteristics. The visual characteristics of GUITAR, graphenes and graphites are similar in that all have layered 2-D morphologies. However, Raman spectroscopy indicates that GUITAR has more structural disorder in each plane than either graphene or most graphites and this causes confusion with peer reviewers. There is a perception in the carbon materials community that disorder is a detrimental property for graphene. Preliminary studies suggest that disorder gives unrecognized beneficial properties. These include (i) high electrochemical conductivity and (ii) the highest measured aqueous anodic (corrosion) and cathodic stabilities in literature. We hypothesize that structural defects in GUITAR give rise to these unique properties. These properties are not observed in other carbon allotropes including graphene and graphite. Immediate applications include electrochemical reactors for organic pollutant destruction, water purification, ultracapacitors, and batteries.

• “Synthesis of Graphene Paper from Pyrolyzed Asphalt” I. Francis Cheng, R. Allen Gonzales, Yuqun Xie, Przemysław R. Brejna, Jency Pricilla Sundararajan, B. A. Fouetio Kengne, D. Eric Aston, David N. McIlroy, Jeremy D. Foutch and Peter R. Griffiths accepted Carbon March 2011. doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2011.03.020

Peer-review has created much confusion as to whether UITAR is classifiable as graphene. Some reviewers regard UITAR as some form of amorphous carbon (see Figure 3.4 and Wikipedia). This stems from an unfamiliarity of the graphene paper literature and misinterpretation of the Raman that we address. Profs. Aston (UI ChemE), Griffiths (UI Chem), and McIlroy (UI Physics) are key collaborators in these physical analyses.

See these pages for more evidence.

SEM

TEM

AFM

Raman & IR

XPS

SEM and Photograph of UITAR. The SEM clearly shows the layered characteristics expected of graphene paper.  Other photographs.