Graphene and two-dimensional crystals for energy applications | Dr. Andrea Capasso (Italian Institute of Technology)

Graphene and two-dimensional crystals for energy applications

Graphene and related two-dimensional crystals (2DC) have stimulated an intense research effort motivated by the wide range of attractive properties these materials possess. Graphene affords excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, in combination with high strenght, flexibility, and chemical stability. Two-dimensional crystals – such as as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and tungsten diselenide (WSe2) – offer (opto)electronic properties complementary to those of graphene, enabling in principle the fabrication of heterostructures with advanced electronic features. In order to meet such high expectations and eventually reach the market phase, these materials need to be produced with reliable and inexpensive techniques, able to guarantee large yield and careful control on the properties. In this talk, I will review two techniques – liquid phase exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition – which can be used to produce graphene and 2DCs for a wide range of applications, especially in the field of energy conversion and storage.