Chemical vapor deposition of amorphous graphene on ZnO film

• We report, for the first time, the growth of graphene on ZnO films.
• Graphene growth on ZnO surface follows free radical condensation process.
• The graphene films are amorphous and have a honeycomb-like structure inherited from the topography of the ZnO template.

Using ZnO film as catalytic substrate and template, honeycomb-like amorphous graphene film could be prepared from chemical vapor deposition of benzene at 700–800 °C. The special structure of the amorphous graphene film is inherited from the ZnO film since the film grown on Si wafer by radio frequency magnetron sputtering is composed of numerous ZnO nanocrystals. The topography of the as-prepared graphene film was well depicted by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The amorphous characteristic is clearly revealed by the combination of Raman spectrum, transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction. The possible growth process is also discussed.