Graphene — Families, properties, applications and production methods

Graphene, a nanomaterial first isolated in 2004, has been the focus of intense research and development activity ever since. This material has particularly interesting properties, with potential impacts on all industrial sectors, from electronics to medicine. Nevertheless, its industrialization is currently largely limited, and currently concerns only a few products, far from the impact that is expected.

Like many materials such as silicon, its ability to be used in a wide range of applications is directly linked to the development of a suitable production process for a form of graphene that can be used directly by industry. What's more, it is now clear that there is no universal form of graphene that will be a benchmark for all industrial sectors. A race is therefore underway, whether at academic level, within start-ups set up in recent years or within major chemical groups, to develop and optimize production processes.

Given that there are many different forms of graphene, each with its own physicochemical properties and field of application, it is important to identify the form that will best meet the needs of the players in a particular sector.

This article aims to establish a direct link between production processes and these different forms of graphene. In addition, it will present the link between graphene quality assessment and several possible precise analysis techniques, as well as their progress. Finally, in a context where nanomaterials are viewed with some mistrust, given that many questions remain about their fate in nature and the human body, this article will assess graphene production processes with regard to the risks incurred by operators and users, but taking into account energy and environmental impacts. In this respect, an innovative process - the chemical exfoliation of graphite - offers a global response to the challenges and limits of graphene production.