Selective coupling reaction inhibits graphene defects: regulating the orderly precipitation of carbon atoms

The problem of preparation high-quality graphene has puzzled researchers in the past years. Here we report a novel method to synthesize D peak-free graphene (DPFG) comprising an ordered array of carbon atoms, which can obviously reduce graphene defects. In our investigations, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) solution was applied to specially treat nickel foil substrate, which increased nucleation sites for graphene growth and promoted the ordering of carbon atoms around SDBS so as to reduce the defects of graphene. The methodology involves the transformation of the formation of carbon atoms precipitation using dehydrogenation reaction and select coupling. There is a significant interaction between the SDBS and the nickel foil interface, which not only improves structural stability and electrical conductivity but also accelerates the growth of DPFG. Consequently, a hexacyclic-ring system formed due to molecular recombination, based on what further dehydrogenation occurred under full control by temperature. It was easy for those hexacyclic-ring systems to induce nucleation points and promote graphene growth, which caused carbon atoms to regularly grow around the hexacyclic-ring system, and thus reduces obviously the defects of graphene. Our work demonstrated a possible way to design and fabricate DPFG, as well as the applicability of the DPFG in electrochemical application.