Description

Mechanical exfoliation is the traditional method used to produce graphene from graphite. It is done by placing graphite flakes onto scotch tape, sticking the flake in between the tape, and peeling the tape apart. This process is repeated and the graphite layers get thinner after each iteration. Finally, the graphite/graphene will be transferred onto a substrate and studied under a microscope. Through microscopy, researchers may identify pieces of material that are only a few atoms thick, which exhibit interesting properties that are popular candidates for current research. They may alternatively discover useful applications, such as fabricating electrodes. In other words, graphite exfoliation produces a unique material due to its ability to approximate two dimensions, allowing for many promising applications that may solve many of the world’s gravest problems.

However, obtaining graphene via mechanical exfoliation has a notoriously low yield. The processes of exfoliating and searching for minute pieces of high-quality graphene must be repeated numerous times. Acquiring graphene through mechanical exfoliation is thus a laborious task with little meaning to the researcher.

 

Vision

We envision a machine that automates the production of graphene from graphite through mechanical exfoliation, saving the precious man-hour of researchers.