Data Publication

Data underlying the research of Structural characterization of graphene nanoplatelets obtained by mechanical ball milling

MARCELO PAGNOLA

4TU.ResearchData

(2020)

We synthesize graphene by ball milling of synthetic graphite (graphite with 99.9% purity (Mesh # 100)) and solid CO2 (dry ice) as a precursor for 24 hours. The materials obtained were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and elemental chemical analysis by energy dispersion x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). In addition, it was determined that the compounds obtained possess between 6 and 14 graphene sheets, depending on the grinding time. These determinations were determined by means of XRD, and the results were corroborated with Raman spectroscopy. The composition of the materials obtained is 92% carbon and approximately 8% oxygen through EDS and XPS measurements. From X-ray diffraction using Mo (Kα), structural analysis for non-crystalline systems by means of the radial distribution function RDF(r) and total distribution function T(r) was realized to determine the coordination numbers as well as atomic distances within short-range order (SRO) in the obtained material, with a structural disorder parameter (ξ) of approximately 3.5. Then, the graphene base structure was modelled for the 24-hour sample. The TEM results confirm that different deformed graphene constituent planes in the observed graphene nanoplatelet (GnP) arrangement were obtained, which were caused by the tensions imposed during the material synthesis process in significant quantities by ball milling.

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