Facile synthesis of graphene by pyrolysis of poly(methyl methacrylate) on nickel particles in the confined microzones

In this work, multi-layer graphene has been prepared by pyrolyzing poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) on nickel microparticles in the confined microzones formed by organophilic montmorillonite (OMT). Gram-scale of product can be obtained per day by using this method. The obtained graphene was evaluated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Pyrolytic conditions such as the system composition of the composites, reaction temperature and the size of catalyst are important parameters affecting the morphology and yield of the final product. Based on the experimental observations and reported literatures, a possible formation process is discussed. The synthesis method of graphene is simple, low-cost, and scalable, which is promising for the application in many fields.

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► The GNWs with few defects were synthesized by pyrolyzing PMMA on nickel particles.
► PMMA as carbon source was easily prepared and safe to handle.
► Nickel microparticles were directly used as catalysts without any pre-treatment.
► The method can be used for the low cost and bulk production of graphene.