Graphene is a Nobel Prize-winning “wonder material”

Graphene is a “wonder material” entirely made of carbon atoms with tremendous potential in the semiconductor industry. A related molecule referred to as graphyne might be even better. Graphyne, however, is challenging to create. Now, chemists have found a way to produce it in bulk. Research can now get underway.

Ever Since its synthesis in 2009, graphene has been called a wonder material with applications in electronics, medicine, and energy, among other industries. On the other hand, graphyne– a similar material with subtle differences– has long evaded synthesis by chemists and chemical engineers. However, these slight differences, researchers have hypothesized, would make graphyne a better choice for designing faster electronics.

In research posted in Nature Synthesis, scientists from the College of Colorado Boulder and Qingdao College of Science and Technology get reported the synthesis of bulk quantities of graphyne. Such as graphene, it exists as a one layer of carbon atoms fixed in a symmetric lattice. Unlike graphene, whose atoms are attached by single also double bonds, the carbon atoms in graphyne are tied to each other in single, double, and triple bonds.

Carbon: The excellent element

Some chemical elements exist in multiple physical ways known as allotropes. The atoms are arranged differently across allotropes, that gives them with different physical properties. The 2 best-known carbon allotropes are graphite and diamond. Both are pure carbon. Nonetheless, in diamond, the carbon atoms are arranged in a compact lattice, resulting in its extreme hardness. On the other hand, the carbon atoms are arranged in loose layers in graphite, which explains its flakiness.

Of all elements, carbon has the richest variety of allotropes, ranging from strong nano-sized tubes to sixty-six-atom “buckyballs” to those that look like glass. There are 2 reasons why. First, carbon atoms could bind up to 4 different atoms at the same time. 2nd, carbon readily forms long chains and structures, even compared to other elements like silicon, that could also bind 4 atoms simultaneously. (This is the reason why extraterrestrial life is likely to be carbon-based, not silicon-based.) These carbon-carbon bonds are complicated, which, in turn, permit the element to form stable allotropes of various kinds.

Making graphyne

The focus of the present research study was on γ-graphyne (“gamma” graphyne), the most stable isomer of graphyne. (Notice: Allotropes and isomers are not the same. Allotropes do not necessarily get the exact amounts of atoms. However, isomers do. Isomers differ just by structure.).

Early approaches to synthesizing graphyne relied on irreversible chemical reactions. Consequently, any not correct arrangements of carbon atoms persisted and caused the lattice to become unstable. In this study, the scientists utilized a reversible mechanism known as alkyne metathesis, which redistributes chemical bonds in carbon chains, essentially permitting molecules to swap one portion of themselves for another on a different molecule.

As shown above, the process utilizes metal catalysts to rearrange benzene rings (6-carbon molecules with alternating particular and double bonds) in a periodic lattice joined by triple bonds.

Chemical reactions are tricky. Simply joining together the ingredients you need does not guarantee a satisfactory result.

The relative ratio of the materials obtained differs depending on reaction conditions. Under “kinetic control,” the ratio of the materials depends on the rates at which they are formed; under “thermodynamic control,” the more stable material is favored. To create graphyne– a large, stable lattice that is also error-free–, the authors had to carefully balance these two methods of reaction control. To achieve this, the writers used two different benzene derivatives to construct graphyne. After many days, a dark black solid precipitated out of solution: γ-graphyne.

Will graphyne replace graphene?

Theorists have before proposed a range of exciting mechanical, electronic, and also optical properties for graphyne. This potentially has enormous implications for the semiconductor industry. Unlike graphene, its electronic properties are suggested to be direction-dependent due to its unique symmetry. It also has conducting electrons, eliminating the need for doping. Both of these qualities may make it a better semiconductor in comparison to graphene.

Right now that chemists have a process to produce meaningful amounts of it, research can really get underway.

Read the original article on Big Think.