Facile and large-scale synthesis of high quality few-layered graphene nano-platelets via methane decomposition over unsupported iron family catalysts

- Few-layered graphene nanoplatelets were prepared via methane catalytic decomposition.
- Metallic sheets of iron group metals were used as novel catalysts.
- The surfaces of metallic sheets were found to be very effective for GNPs growth.
- The number of layers is dependent on the morphological structure of the catalysts.
- The unsupported metallic Ni catalyst exhibited higher catalytic growth activity.

High quality few-layered graphene nano-platelets (GNPs) were successfully prepared via catalytic chemical vapor deposition of methane under ambient pressure using substrate-free unsupported iron, cobalt, and nickel metallic sheets as catalysts. The bulk catalysts were prepared via combustion method using citric acid as a fuel. Various analytical techniques, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and Raman spectroscopy were employed to characterize the fresh and reduced catalysts and to identify the morphological structure of the as-grown GNPs. TEM images of the reduced metal catalysts showed that polycrystalline metallic sheets were easily produced after complete reduction of unsupported metal oxides. The data demonstrated that the formation of zero-valent metallic sheets could effectively promote the growth of GNPs on their surfaces. The unsupported Ni catalyst exhibits higher catalytic growth activity in terms of GNPs yield (254 wt%) compared with all other catalysts. Raman spectra and TEM results established that a few layers of GNPs with high crystallinity and good graphitization were produced. TGA results further demonstrated that the as-grown GNPs exhibit significantly higher thermal stability in air atmosphere compared with other synthesis methods.

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