Synthesis of Nanocarbon and 2D Materials

The department has its very own reactor park for synthesizing nanocarbon and 2D materials. It contains all the necessary equipment to produce nanoscale carbon materials. We also use the reactor park to synthesize nano materials and modify commercially-available nano materials. Modification enhances the properties of nano materials. Without modifying them, it would be impossible to benefit from these attributes in some cases.

In the area of synthesis, we are currently developing ultra-clean single-walled CNTs, carbon nanohorns, large-scale low-defect graphene layers and graphene nanoflakes. We then supply these materials to our partners for implementation in various joint projects.

Materials can also be modified with the aid of coating processes. Optimized layers improve the wettability of materials and make it possible to integrate them into composites. Nano-modified composites have enhanced mechanical, electrical and thermal properties.

Our team is highly experienced in developing simple processes for the subsequent manufacture of innovative materials. Besides CNTs and graphene, other 2D materials can also be used in electronic applications, such as hexagonal boron nitride (HBN), fluorographene, graphene oxide, molybdenum sulfide and semiconducting or metallic di-chalcogenides. In collaboration with university partners across the globe, Fraunhofer IPA adapts existing simple production processes to manufacture these materials in the quantity required. We then supply them to research and development partners for implementation in projects. In doing so, we use CVD processes, high-energy grinding processes and electrochemical exfoliation. Our developments aim at implementing these materials in electronic applications, such as printed transistors and electrodes for energy storage devices.