Development of an ultra-thin film comprised of a graphene membrane and carbon nanotube vein support

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3920
• Publication Date: 2013-12-20T11:42:05Z
• Authors: Xiaoyang Lin; Peng Liu; Yang Wei; Qunqing Li; Jiaping Wang; Yang Wu; Chen Feng; Lina Zhang; Shoushan Fan; Kaili Jiang
• Keywords: Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nanotubes, Carbon; Electric Conductivity; Electrons; Graphite; Membranes, Artificial; 01 natural sciences; 0104 chemical sciences

Graphene, exhibiting superior mechanical, thermal, optical and electronic properties, has attracted great interest. Considering it being one-atom-thick, and the reduced mechanical strength at grain boundaries, the fabrication of large-area suspended chemical vapour deposition graphene remains a challenge. Here we report the fabrication of an ultra-thin free-standing carbon nanotube/graphene hybrid film, inspired by the vein-membrane structure found in nature. Such a square-centimetre-sized hybrid film can realize the overlaying of large-area single-layer chemical vapour deposition graphene on to a porous vein-like carbon nanotube network. The vein-membrane-like hybrid film, with graphene suspended on the carbon nanotube meshes, possesses excellent mechanical performance, optical transparency and good electrical conductivity. The ultra-thin hybrid film features an electron transparency close to 90%, which makes it an ideal gate electrode in vacuum electronics and a high-performance sample support in transmission electron microscopy.