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How does the scotch-tape method separate graphene from graphite?
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graphene
Atomic force microscopy image of water structures that were trapped beneath a sheet of graphene one atom thick.
The "scotch-tape method" is a technique of mechanical exfoliation used to isolate single layers of graphene from graphite.
Graphite consists of stacked layers of graphene held together by relatively weak van der Waals forces, while the carbon atoms within each individual layer are bound by strong covalent bonds. The process works as follows:12
- Exfoliation: Adhesive tape is applied to a sample of graphite to peel away the top layers.2
- Transfer: The layers adhering to the tape are then applied to a substrate material, such as silicon covered with silicon dioxide.2
- Isolation: When the tape is removed, some graphene remains on the substrate in single-layer form.2
This method was famously used by Konstantin Novoselov and Andre Geim in 2004 to successfully isolate and study single-layer graphene, an achievement for which they were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.12