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Flash graphene from carbon black: effect of environment conditions on microstructure and energy storage.

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Title: Flash graphene from carbon black: effect of environment conditions on microstructure and energy storage.
Authors: Kumar, Subham1,2 (AUTHOR), Alexander, Rajath1,2 (AUTHOR), Kaushal, Amit1,2 (AUTHOR), Prakash, Jyoti1,2 (AUTHOR), Goutam, U.K.3 (AUTHOR), Dasgupta, Kinshuk1,2 (AUTHOR) kdg@barc.gov.in
Source: Diamond & Related Materials. Jan2026, Vol. 161, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: Graphene, Energy storage, Carbon-black, Microstructure, Atmosphere, Chemical synthesis, Electrochemical analysis, Plasma dynamics
Abstract: Flash Joule Heating (FJH) offers a scalable and industrially viable method for graphene synthesis, eliminating lengthy thermal treatments and complex chemical processes required by traditional approaches. The present work explores the influence of different environmental conditions‑argon, nitrogen, air, and vacuum on the synthesis of flash graphene (FG) from commercial carbon black, with a focus on microstructural evolution and its impact on energy storage performance. Here, we systematically examined and found that different environment in the chamber affected the plasma dynamics and quenching rates, which in turn affected the defect density and microstructure of the resultant graphene. A mechanistic framework has been proposed to explain how different gases modulate heat transfer and plasma/arcing during the flash events. Structural characterization revealed that all environments yielded turbostratic graphene with minimal interlayer coupling and defects, as evidenced by low I D /I G ratios (0.06–0.1) and high I 2D /I G ratios (11.79 to 16.79) in Raman spectra. Among different gases, argon showed the highest I 2D /I G ratio, highest interplanar spacing of 0.361 nm, and lowest I D / I G ratio indicating the best turbostratic nature and lowest defects. The low Paschen breakdown voltage of argon (168 V) supports low-threshold plasma formation, leading to efficient precursor decomposition and superior graphene quality. FG synthesized under an argon atmosphere displays enhanced electrochemical performance, achieving ∼138 Fg−1 at 1 Ag−1 with ∼97 % coulombic efficiency, more than three times the capacitance of carbon black (∼39 Fg−1) measured under identical conditions. The results show that controlling the reaction environment determines graphene's structure, performance and scalability for advanced energy-storage applications. [Display omitted] • Effects of Ar,N 2 ,air and vacuum on the quality of flash graphene from carbon black (CB) • Ar atmosphere provides best quality graphene (I 2D /I G ∼ 17) due to stable plasma. • Graphene in Ar shows improved exfoliation (0.361 nm interlayer spacing) and purity (93.74 At.%). • Graphene (in Ar) shows higher capacitance of 139.1F/g compared to 39.1 F/g for CB at 1 A/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:Flash Joule Heating (FJH) offers a scalable and industrially viable method for graphene synthesis, eliminating lengthy thermal treatments and complex chemical processes required by traditional approaches. The present work explores the influence of different environmental conditions‑argon, nitrogen, air, and vacuum on the synthesis of flash graphene (FG) from commercial carbon black, with a focus on microstructural evolution and its impact on energy storage performance. Here, we systematically examined and found that different environment in the chamber affected the plasma dynamics and quenching rates, which in turn affected the defect density and microstructure of the resultant graphene. A mechanistic framework has been proposed to explain how different gases modulate heat transfer and plasma/arcing during the flash events. Structural characterization revealed that all environments yielded turbostratic graphene with minimal interlayer coupling and defects, as evidenced by low I D /I G ratios (0.06–0.1) and high I 2D /I G ratios (11.79 to 16.79) in Raman spectra. Among different gases, argon showed the highest I 2D /I G ratio, highest interplanar spacing of 0.361 nm, and lowest I D / I G ratio indicating the best turbostratic nature and lowest defects. The low Paschen breakdown voltage of argon (168 V) supports low-threshold plasma formation, leading to efficient precursor decomposition and superior graphene quality. FG synthesized under an argon atmosphere displays enhanced electrochemical performance, achieving ∼138 Fg−1 at 1 Ag−1 with ∼97 % coulombic efficiency, more than three times the capacitance of carbon black (∼39 Fg−1) measured under identical conditions. The results show that controlling the reaction environment determines graphene's structure, performance and scalability for advanced energy-storage applications. [Display omitted] • Effects of Ar,N 2 ,air and vacuum on the quality of flash graphene from carbon black (CB) • Ar atmosphere provides best quality graphene (I 2D /I G ∼ 17) due to stable plasma. • Graphene in Ar shows improved exfoliation (0.361 nm interlayer spacing) and purity (93.74 At.%). • Graphene (in Ar) shows higher capacitance of 139.1F/g compared to 39.1 F/g for CB at 1 A/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:09259635
DOI:10.1016/j.diamond.2025.113109