#ethene

High temperature step-by-step process makes graphene from ethene

An international team of scientists has developed a new way to produce single-layer graphene from a simple precursor: ethene -- also known as ethylene -- the smallest alkene molecule, which contains just two atoms of carbon.

By heating the ethene in stages to a temperature of slightly more than 700 degrees Celsius -- hotter than had been attempted before -- the researchers produced pure layers of graphene on a rhodium catalyst substrate. The stepwise heating and higher temperature overcame challenges seen in earlier efforts to produce graphene directly from hydrocarbon precursors.

Because of its lower cost and simplicity, the technique could open new potential applications for graphene, which has attractive physical and electronic properties. The work also provides a novel mechanism for the self-evolution of carbon cluster precursors whose diffusional coalescence results in the formation of the graphene layers.

The research, reported as the cover article in the May 4 issue of the Journal of Physical Chemistry C, was conducted by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Technische Universität München in Germany, and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. In the United States, the research was supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

Ethene hasn’t spoken to her biological family in years, but through the Inquisition she has made many friends. Her closest are Cassandra and Varric, like bickering older siblings, and Dorian. They became close after witnessing the alternate future together and now she goes to him with just about all her problems, from philosophy and magic to fashion and relationships. Cullen even gets jealous of their relationship before he realizes it would never be anything more than plutonic.

The one person Ethene doesn’t get along with at all is Vivienne. They rarely see eye to eye and Ethene feels when they disagree Vivienne treats her like an ignorant child. Still, she tries to be civil and knows that the Court Enchanter is a talented mage and an important part of the Inquisition.