Electrochemical Bubbling Transfer of Graphene Using a Polymer Support with Encapsulated Air Gap as Permeation Stopping Layer

Figure 1

Schematic illustrations of the transfer using a polymeric mechanical support with an encapsulated air gap permeation stopping layer. (a) Sandwiched structure of the support consisting of PET foil, a plastic frame, and a spin-coated PMMA layer on top of the graphene/Pt. The polymeric layers are stuck to each other by using PMMA “glue” on a hotplate. (b) Typical water electrolysis cell composed of Pt anode, NaOH solution, and a cathode made of the material complex. The encapsulated air gap and the PET foil entirely stop the permeation of H₂O and H⁺. (c) When a simple PMMA layer is used as the supporting layer, H₂O and H⁺ can penetrate it and reach the graphene interfaces. These particles can arrive at the interface much earlier than those coming from the edges along the graphene-Pt interface, leading to trapped H₂ bubbles in the center. The strain therein is one of the main causes of the graphene damage.

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