Synthesis and characterization of graphene-palladium thin film composites for nano-gilding

Graphene is a superior material that exhibits excellent mechanical and electrical properties, as well as being useful for chemical functionalities. A few layers of graphene are extremely lightweight but highly multifunctional, and as such present an opportunity to add increasing performance to engineering design. However, it is difficult to uniformly apply a few layers of graphene directly onto materials, while maintaining the intrinsic properties of synthesized graphene and a strong interfacial strength between them. To the end of synthesizing useful graphene-based composites, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of graphene on thin palladium leaves is studied for the potential of nano-gilding based coating of surfaces for added functionality. This work presents the study of gas-precursor CVD synthesis of mulit-layer graphene (MLG) on commercial palladium leaves at low temperature (800 ˚C). Raman mapping methods and nanoindentation for hardness of the composites are presented, as well as a discussion of the limitations on these techniques to analyze the present samples.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2017

Author dc:creator

• Robertson, Matthew Glen

Contributors dc:contributor

• Tawfick, Sameh

• Graphene
• Palladium
• Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2017 Matthew Robertson

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/98302

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/98302