Simulation and Diagnostics of Plasma Chemical Processes during Microwave Plasma Synthesis of Graphene Nanosheets form Ethanol

Abstract

Plasma synthesis by ethanol decomposition in microwave atmospheric torch is a simple, efficient, single-step scalable method suitable for volume production of graphene nanosheets. In our work, we studied influence of microwave power on several plasma parameters (e.g. gas temperature, concentration of active species) by optical emission spectroscopy (OES), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and mass spectrometry (MS) to better understand the process of precursor decomposition and graphene formation in the gas phase. We observed significant change in kinetics and influence of input power on ethanol decomposition routes. Results were compared with theoretical model comprising hydrodynamics, plasma, heat transfer and chemical kinetics.

Plasma synthesis by ethanol decomposition in microwave atmospheric torch is a simple, efficient, single-step scalable method suitable for volume production of graphene nanosheets. In our work, we studied influence of microwave power on several plasma parameters (e.g. gas temperature, concentration of active species) by optical emission spectroscopy (OES), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and mass spectrometry (MS) to better understand the process of precursor decomposition and graphene formation in the gas phase. We observed significant change in kinetics and influence of input power on ethanol decomposition routes. Results were compared with theoretical model comprising hydrodynamics, plasma, heat transfer and chemical kinetics.