Low Cost Plasma Synthesis of Graphene Nanoplatelets from Methane (Graphene LIVE! USA 2013)

1. A DC thermal plasma reactor system designed for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles was utilized to investigate the applicability of this system for the bottom-up synthesis of graphene nanoplatelets. A systematic investigation of organic molecule precursors was performed.

2. Most precursor materials gave carbon nanoparticles with spheroidal morphology. However, a few specific molecules including methane gave pure, high quality graphene nanoplatelets at substantial yield. A rantionale for precursor selectivity and characterization of the GNP's produced will be presented.

3. The ability to use a low cost carbon source such as methane in a scalable, one step, continuous process should enable this patented process to yield high performance GNP's in bulk for large scale applications when commercialized.

He is currently Director of Nanotechnology and New Color Development in PPG's Coatings Innovation Center at Allison Park, Pennsylvania, where he has worked since 1999. A major area of his research over the past decade has been in the plasma synthesis of nanomaterials, recently including graphene. He earned his B.A. at Cambridge University in England and his Ph.D. at Northwestern University in Illinois. After postdoctoral appointments at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and the California Institute of Technology, he worked for the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York before moving to PPG.

PPG: BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE.TM

PPG Industries' vision is to continue to be the world's leading coatings and specialty

products company. Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG

helps customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction

markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any

other company. Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and

operates in nearly 70 countries around the world. Sales in 2012 were $15.2 billion.