Preparation Methods for Graphene and its Derivatives

Over the past few decades, graphene and its derivatives have carved a niche for themselves in material science. These carbon nanomaterials exhibit a broad range of applications owing to their enchanting features like high specific surface area, chemical inertness, astonishing electrical and thermal properties, elevated intrinsic mobility, inimitable optical properties, and huge mechanical strength. Considering the ubiquitous applications of graphene in different industries, diverse top-down and bottom-up methods have been developed. This chapter outlines the various methods used for the synthesis of graphene and graphene-based derivatives, such as exfoliation, unrolling or unzipping of carbon nanotubes, electric arc discharge method, laser ablation technique, oxidative exfoliation-reduction of graphene oxide, chemical vapour deposition, epitaxial growth, template synthesis, pyrolysis, substrate-free synthesis, total organic synthesis, and biological methods, highlighting the advantages of these methods. Upcoming challenges concerning the commercial synthesis of graphene have also been addressed in the concluding part. 

Keywords: Bottom-up Strategies, Graphene, Graphene Oxide, Reduced Graphene Oxide, Top-down Methods.