Green Synthesis of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials and Graphene Quantum Dots from Unique Albany Graphite

由于其独特的性质，石墨烯被认为是清洁技术行业的战略材料。根据Zion Market Research的数据，到2022年，全球石墨烯市场预计将达到1.9368亿美元，2017年至2022年的复合年增长率为35.0%。然而，目前还没有清洁且具有成本效益的技术可用于石墨烯和石墨烯衍生物的大规模生产。ZEN石墨烯解决方案有限公司目前正在开发其独特的火成岩托管，流体衍生的奥尔巴尼石墨存款，这是包含在两个大角砾岩管道。2018年1月，ZEN宣布将把未来的工作重点放在以垂直整合结构从奥尔巴尼石墨转化的增值石墨烯上。 鉴于ZEN正在追求的许多潜在石墨烯应用，ZEN取得商业成功的最重要要求之一是开发环境兼容，低成本和易于剥离的技术。该NSERC CRD项目的目标有三个方面：（i）有效地电化学剥离奥尔巴尼石墨以生产石墨烯和石墨烯基纳米材料;（ii）高效地生产具有高产率和高质量的石墨烯量子点（GQD）;以及（iii）表征所制造的石墨烯，石墨烯基纳米材料和GQD，同时探索其环境和能源应用。ZEN最近在奥尔巴尼石墨存款完成了一个大直径RCD钻探计划，从东管道中提取了110吨石墨矿化材料的散装样品。该公司预计该项目将生产多达6吨的高质量石墨烯前体材料。ZEN预见到，利用这项拟议的NSERC CRD研究的结果，开发出一种可扩展的商业剥离技术，该技术将使大量的奥尔巴尼石墨转化为石墨烯基纳米材料。在这方面的商业成功将启动奥尔巴尼存款的全面采矿业务，为安大略东北部经济创造许多备受追捧的专业技术工作。

Due to its unique properties, graphene is considered to be a strategic material for clean technology industries. According to Zion Market Research, the global graphene market is anticipated to reach US$193.68 million by 2022, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 35.0% between 2017 and 2022. However, there are currently no clean and cost-effective technologies available for the mass production of graphene and graphene derivatives. ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. is currently developing its unique igneous-hosted, fluid-derived Albany graphite deposit, which is contained within two large breccia pipes. In January 2018, ZEN announced that it would be focusing its future efforts on value-added graphene converted from Albany graphite in a vertically integrated structure. In light of the many potential graphene applications that ZEN is pursuing, one of the most important requirements for ZEN to achieve commercial success is to develop an environmentally compatible, low-cost, and facile exfoliation technique. The objectives of this NSERC CRD project are three-fold: (i) to effectively electrochemically exfoliate the Albany graphite to produce graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials; (ii) to efficiently produce graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with a high yield and good quality; and (iii) to characterize the fabricated graphene, graphene-based nanomaterials, and GQDs, while exploring their environmental and energy applications. ZEN recently completed a large diameter RCD drill program at the Albany Graphite Deposit resulted in the extraction of a 110-tonne bulk sample of graphite-mineralized material from the East Pipe. The company anticipates the production of up to six tonnes of high-quality graphene precursor material from this program. ZEN foresees using the results of this proposed NSERC CRD research to develop a scalable commercial exfoliation technique that will enable the conversion of significant quantities of Albany graphite to graphene-based nanomaterials. Commercial success in this regard would launch the full mining operation of the Albany Deposit, toward the creation of many highly sought after professionally skilled jobs for the Northeastern Ontario economy.