Suitable alkaline for graphene peeling grown on metallic catalysts using chemical vapor deposition

- Graphene layers were grown on Pt and Cu foil via ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition method and for the delicate removal of graphene from metal catalysts, electrolysis method was used by using different alkaline (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide and barium hydroxide).
- The delamination speed of PMMA/graphene stack was higher during the KOH and LiOH electrolysis as compare to NaOH and Ba(OH)2. Ba(OH)2 is not advisable because of the residues left on the graphene surface which would further trapped in between graphene and SiO2/Si surface after transfer. The average peeling time in case of Pt electrode is ∼6 min for KOH and LiOH and ∼15 min for NaOH and Ba(OH)2.
- Electrolysis method also works for the Cu catalyst. The peeling of graphene was faster in the case of Cu foil due to small size of bubbles which moves faster between the stack and the electrode surface. The average peeling time was ∼3-5 min.
- XPS analysis clearly showed that the Pt substrates can be re-used again. Graphene layer was transferred to SiO2/Si substrates and to the flexible substrate by using the same peeling method.