New graphene production method ‘offers more affordable manufacturing’

A new way of producing graphene for a lower cost could open the door for the creation of advanced and affordable electronic devices.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow have now found a way to produce large sheets of graphene using the same cheap type of copper used to manufacture common lithium-ion batteries.

Graphene is just a single atom thick but is flexible, stronger than steel and capable of efficiently conducting heat and electricity. It has been identified as a key component of a new generation of medical devices, among other applications.

Typically created using a process called chemical vapour deposition, this new method allows for the production of large-area graphene around 100 times cheaper than before, as it utilises commercially-available copper instead of the pricey specialised copper used previously.

Moreover, graphene produced in this way offered a significantly better electrical and optical performance when used to make transistors, compared to similar materials produced from the older process.

Dr Ravinder Dahiya of the University of Glasgow's school of engineering said: "Our process produces high-quality graphene at low cost, taking us one step closer to creating affordable new electronic devices with a wide range of applications, from the smart cities of the future to mobile healthcare."