Newly discovered allotrope of carbon having a multilayered nanocarbon array exhibits among other properties exceptional stability, electrical conductivity and electromagnetic frequency (emf) attenuation characteristics. Members of this new allotrope include nanocarbon structures possessing vast electron delocalization in multiple directions unavailable to known fullerene-characterized materials like carbon nano-onions (CNOs), multiwalled carbon nano-tubes (MWNTs), graphene, carbon nano-horns, and carbon nano-ellipsoids such that stabilizing electron delocalization crosses or proceeds between layers as well as along layers in multiple directions within a continuous cyclic structure having an advanced interlayer connectivity bonding system involving the whole carbon array apart from incidental defects.

The present development is a novel graphene foam with highly enriched incommensurately-stacked layers. The graphene foam is intended to be applied as active electrodes in rechargeable batteries. A 93% incommensurate graphene foam demonstrated a reversible specific capacity of 1540 mAh g.sup.-1 with a 75% coulombic efficiency, and an 86% incommensurate sample achieves above 99% coulombic efficiency exhibiting 930 mAh g.sup.-1 specific capacity.

Provided are exfoliated graphite that rarely folds, rarely curls, and rarely causes corrosion of an electrode when used as the electrode material, and a method for manufacturing the exfoliated graphite. Exfoliated graphite being graphene or a laminate of graphene sheets, the exfoliated graphite having a ratio 2 D/G of 0.5 or more and 5.0 or less, the ratio 2 D/G being a peak area ratio of a 2 D band to a G band in a Raman. spectrum measured. using Raman spectroscopy, and a halogen content of 1,000 ppm or less.

A voltage tunable solar-blind UV detector using a EG/SiC heterojunction based Schottky emitter bipolar phototransistor with EG grown on p-SiC epi-layer using a chemically accelerated selective etching process of Si using TFS precursor.

Provided is a method of producing isolated graphene sheets directly from a carbon/graphite precursor. The method comprises: (a) providing a mass of halogenated aromatic molecules selected from halogenated petroleum heavy oil or pitch, coal tar pitch, polynuclear hydrocarbon, or a combination thereof; (b) heat treating this mass at a first temperature of 25 to 300° C. in the presence of a catalyst and optionally at a second temperature of 300-3,200° C. to form graphene domains dispersed in a disordered matrix of carbon or hydrocarbon molecules, and (c) separating and isolating the planes of hexagonal carbon atoms or fused aromatic rings to recover graphene sheets from the disordered matrix.

Methods include producing tunable carbon structures and combining carbon structures with a polymer to form a composite material. Carbon structures include crinkled graphene. Methods also include functionalizing the carbon structures, either in-situ, within the plasma reactor, or in a liquid collection facility. The plasma reactor has a first control for tuning the specific surface area (SSA) of the resulting tuned carbon structures as well as a second, independent control for tuning the SSA of the tuned carbon structures. The composite materials that result from mixing the tuned carbon structures with a polymer results in composite materials that exhibit exceptional favorable mechanical and/or other properties. Mechanisms that operate between the carbon structures and the polymer yield composite materials that exhibit these exceptional mechanical properties are also examined.

A method for preparing suspended graphene support film by selectively etching growth substrate is disclosed in present invention. The transfer process of graphene is avoided. The process of present invention is efficient and low in cost, suspended graphene support film can be prepared in a single etching step. The prepared graphene support film does not need any support by polymer film and polymer fiber. The prepared graphene support film has controllable number of layers and high intactness (90%-97%), large suspended area (diameter is 10-50 μm), wide clean area (>100 nm) and can be mass-produced. In addition, the graphene support film can be directly used as transmission electron microscope support film, and can be used to achieve high resolution imaging of nanoparticles.

A method of exfoliating layered, shearable material is described. Examples are provided including exfoliation of graphite to form graphene nanoplatelets. Also described is a machine for preparing nanoplatelets that includes a chamber whose volume can be increased by pressure exerted by the exfoliated product. Composites of graphene nanoplatelets and polyamide exhibited improved flexural modulus compared to that of graphite composites while impact strength was unaffected.

Methods of making graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide are provided. The methods can include a simple one-pot synthesis of graphene oxide from a purified coal powder using a mild oxidizing acid. The methods provide for an improved, more cost-effective, and simpler process than conventional methods such as Hummers methods. In some aspects, placing the purified coal powder in the mild oxidation atmosphere includes contacting the purified coal powder with a mild oxidizing acid such as nitric acid, nitrous acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, benzoic acid, or a combination thereof. In some aspects, the mild oxidizing acid consists essentially of nitric acid. Graphene oxides and reduced graphene oxides prepared by the methods are also provided.

A polymer composite formed from an epoxy based polymer and an amino-graphene. The epoxy based polymer forms a polymer matrix and the amino graphene is dispersed throughout the polymer matrix. Further, a graphene is functionalized with 3,5-dinitrophenyl groups to form functionalized graphene and one or more amine functional groups form Meisenheimer complexes with the functionalized graphene to form the amino-graphene. An associated method of making the polymer composite is also provided.