Graphene nanowalls grown on copper mesh

Abstract

Graphene nanowalls (GNWs) can be described as extended nanosheets of graphitic carbon where the basal planes are perpendicular to a substrate. Generally, existing techniques to grow films of GNWs are based on plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and the use of diverse substrate materials (Cu, Ni, C, etc) shaped as foils or filaments. Usually, patterned films rely on substrates priorly modified by costly cleanroom procedures. Hence, we report here the characterization, transfer and application of wafer-scale patterned GNWs films that were grown on Cu meshes using low-power direct-current PECVD. Reaching wall heights of ∼300 nm, mats of vertically-aligned carbon nanosheets covered square centimeter wire meshes substrates, replicating well the thread dimensions and the tens of micrometer-wide openings of the meshes. Contrastingly, the same growth conditions applied to Cu foils resulted in limited carbon deposition, mostly confined to the substrate edges. Based on the wet transfer procedure turbostratic and graphitic carbon domains co-exist in the GNWs microstructure. Interestingly, these nanoscaled patterned films were quite hydrophobic, being able to reverse the wetting behavior of SiO2 surfaces. Finally, we show that the GNWs can also be used as the active material for C-on-Cu anodes of Li-ion battery systems.