In the field of nanotechnology, single to few-layered materials are emerging as the material of choice due to their enhanced properties compared to their bulk counterparts. Two-dimensional materials can be synthesized via the bottom-up or top-down approach. Examples of top-down approach includes liquid and mechanical exfoliation which takes advantage of weak Van der Waals forces of layered materials. As the demand of two-dimensional materials increase, new scalable exfoliation methods with faster processing time must be devised. In this project, we design a gas phase exfoliation method to delaminate bulk boron nitride, molybdenum disulfide, and graphite into few-layered sheets. The process relies on the expansion of compressible gases through fine orifices, which generates the shear required for mechanical exfoliation. Compared to other top-down approaches, gas phase exfoliation decreases processing time from hours to seconds. The resulting materials were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Results of this study will advance further research on scalable and efficient methodologies for exfoliation of layered materials.

High pressure exfoliation of layered materials

255th National Meeting (2018)

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