Research progress on the characterization and repair of graphene defects

Abstract

Graphene has excellent theoretical properties and a wide range of applications in metal-based composites. However, because of defects on the graphene surface, the actual performance of the material is far below theoretical expectations. In addition, graphene containing defects could easily react with a matrix alloy, such as Al, to generate brittle and hydrolyzed phases that could further reduce the performance of the resulting composite. Therefore, defect repair is an important area of graphene research. The repair methods reported in the present paper include chemical vapor deposition, doping, liquid-phase repair, external energy graphitization, and alloying. Detailed analyses and comparisons of these methods are carried out, and the characterization methods of graphene are introduced. The mechanism, research value, and future out-look of graphene repair are also discussed at length. Graphene defect repair mainly relies on the spontaneous movement of C atoms or heteroatoms to the pore defects under the condition of applied energy. The repair degree and mechanism of graphene repair are also different according to different preparations. The current research on graphene defect repair is still in its infancy, and it is believed that the problem of defect evolution will be explained in more depth in the future.

Keywords

graphene / metal matrix composites / defect repair / characterization / repair mechanism

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