Scientists at Jagiellonian University in Kraków have developed a new method for producing nanographene directly on non-metal materials. The relatively simple and potentially cost-efficient process could support the development of advanced materials for electronics, telecommunications, photonics and medicine.
The method makes it possible to coat semiconductors, insulators and silicon-based materials directly with graphene nanoribbons and graphene flakes with precisely defined structures. Given the technological barriers that industry has faced in this area for years, the discovery may represent an important step toward new generations of electronic devices.
Until now, nanographene systems have been synthesised mainly on noble metals and then transferred to their final substrate. This approach involves complex, energy-intensive and expensive operations. One of the main challenges is moving fragile graphene nanostructures from one material to another without damaging them or introducing defects and contamination.
The technique developed by Polish researchers could fundamentally change this process by allowing nanographene structures to be formed directly on the target material.
A breakthrough through simplicity
The new method involves depositing graphene precursors directly onto the surface of a non-metal material in high-vacuum conditions. The coated material is then heated to approximately 200–220°C and exposed to atomic hydrogen.
Atomic hydrogen acts as a selective catalyst for surface reactions. As a result, the graphene precursors transform into ordered nanographene structures directly on the chosen substrate. The process reduces the risk of contaminating the material being coated and eliminates the need to transfer nanostructures from a metal surface to the final substrate.
The Polish technology removes several complicated stages that are currently required in industrial processes for coating non-metal materials with graphene. It does not require noble metals and avoids the difficult transfer of graphene nanocoatings or nanostructures from metal to another material.
Importantly, the process can be carried out at substantially lower temperatures than conventional methods. While many existing techniques require temperatures of around 400°C or more, the new solution operates at around 200°C. This may improve cost efficiency while broadening the range of materials that can be coated with graphene-based structures.
“What is particularly important is that using this method does not require any novel or difficult-to-access technologies or materials. We rely on graphene precursors already available in industry, as well as vacuum-generating equipment and atomic hydrogen sources, known as crackers,” explains Dr Rafał Zuzak from the Department of Nanostructure Physics and Nanotechnology at Jagiellonian University, one of the co-creators of the method.
“In our opinion, the easy availability of tools and precursors opens the way for this technology to be implemented more widely in industry,” he adds.
Controlled graphene coating
The creators of the method say that, for the first time in the world, nanographene has been produced directly on the surfaces of insulating materials using this approach. The solution has received international patent protection and is currently undergoing intensive research and further development.
The research team is collecting additional data on the scalability of the process and working to adapt the method to real industrial requirements.
“We already know that this method can be used to produce different types of nanographene structures, which may vary significantly in their characteristics and therefore give different properties to the materials on which they are placed,” says Dr hab. Szymon Godlewski, professor at Jagiellonian University and co-author of the technology.
The type of nanographene structure produced depends, among other factors, on the choice of graphene precursor. For industry, a key issue is ensuring that nanographene has a uniform structure and remains free of contamination, just like the substrate itself.
“Our method meets these requirements and offers the prospect of synthesising nanostructures with specific, desired properties while maintaining stability and full molecular-level control,” Godlewski adds.
The researchers see particular potential in integrating the technology with silicon electronics.
“From an industrial perspective, access to a simpler method requiring significantly lower temperatures opens the way to designing, for example, new types of transistors and integrated circuits,” says Dr Zuzak. “The method also eliminates a source of many material defects.”
Towards commercialisation
The transfer of the technology is being coordinated by CITTRU, the Centre for Technology Transfer at Jagiellonian University.
“At this stage, it is necessary to accelerate pre-implementation research, ideally with partners that use nanographene structures in industry,” says Dr Gabriela Konopka-Cupiał, Director of CITTRU.
“The range of potential applications for materials created with this method is enormous. I therefore believe that it may find commercial use in the near future.”
Potential applications of nanographene structures
One of nanographene’s greatest advantages is the strong relationship between its properties and its atomic structure. The shape, width and composition of nanographene structures can influence electrical, optical and chemical properties. The method developed at Jagiellonian University makes it possible to produce different forms of nanographene with atomic precision.
One potential use is the creation of more efficient electronic components, including transistors. Parameters of graphene nanoribbons, such as band-gap width and the effective mass of electrons, can be controlled through the selection of an appropriate precursor.
This may support the development of new types of transistors that offer higher performance and lower energy consumption. Such solutions are particularly attractive in the era of artificial intelligence, when demand for computing power — and therefore electricity — is growing rapidly.
Nanographene structures may also be used as materials that absorb or emit light at specific wavelengths. They could serve as active components in photonics, including molecular optical switches activated by light of a particular energy.
Another promising application involves highly sensitive particle detectors. Properly designed nanographene can selectively bind specific molecules or particles. Changes in conductivity, for example through a comparison of electrical current before and after adsorption of a molecule, could make it possible to detect concentrations close to the level of individual particles.
Such sensors could be used in a wide range of areas, from maintaining ultra-clean conditions in the manufacturing of precision equipment to applications in pharmacology and medicine.
The technology is still at an early development stage, but its combination of lower temperatures, reduced process complexity and molecular-level control could make it an important tool for future semiconductor, sensor and photonic technologies.
