Understanding the catalyst-free transformation of amorphous carbon into graphene by current-induced annealing

Reduced graphene oxide: Biofabrication and environmental applications

Green synthesis of high-quality reduced graphene oxide (rGO) from agro-industrial waste resources remains attractive owing to its outstanding environmental benefits. The remarkable properties of rGO include excellent morphology, uniform particle size, good optical properties, high conductivity, nontoxicity, and extraordinary chemical stability. Traditional methods for the synthesis of rGO nanomaterials involve several chemical reactions including oxidation, carbonization, toxic solvent, and pyrolysis which produce harmful byproducts. Green preparation of rGO is an emerging area of research in graphene technology which is cost-effective and sustainable in the procedure. Owing to the uniform particle rGO particle size, these smart nanomaterials have wide applicability, including in metal ions and pollutant sensing and adsorption, photocatalysis, optoelectrical devices, medical diagnosis, and drug delivery. Here we review the physicochemical properties of rGO, the biowaste sources and green methods of rGO synthesis, and the diverse applications of rGO, including in water purification and the biomedical fields. With this review, covering more than 200 research articles published on rGO in the last eight years ending in 2022, we aim to provide a quick guide for researchers seeking up-to-date information on the properties, production, and applicability of rGO, with special attention to rGO applications in water purification and the biomedical fields.

Ab Initio Simulation of Amorphous Graphite

An amorphous graphite material has been predicted from molecular dynamics simulation using ab initio methods. Carbon materials reveal a strong proclivity to convert into a sp^{2} network and then layer at temperatures near 3000 K within a density range of ca. 2.2-2.8  g/cm^{3}. Each layer of amorphous graphite is a monolayer of amorphous graphene including pentagons and heptagons in addition to hexagons, and the planes are separated by about 3.1  Å. The layering transition has been studied using various structural and dynamical analyses. The transition is unique as one of partial ordering (long range order of planes and galleries, but topological disorder in the planes). The planes are quite flat, even though monolayer amorphous graphene puckers near pentagonal sites. Interplane cohesion is due partly to non-Van der Waals interactions. The structural disorder has been studied closely, especially the consequences of disorder to electronic transport. It is expected that the transition elucidated here may be salient to other layered materials.

Enhanced current rectification in graphene nanoribbons: effects of geometries and orientations of nanopores

We discuss the possibility of getting rectification operation in graphene nanoribbon (GNR). For a system to be a rectifier, it must be physically asymmetric and we induce the asymmetry in GNR by introducing nanopores. The rectification properties are discussed for differently structured nanopores. We find that shape and orientation of the nanopores are critical and sensitive to the degree of current rectification. As the choice of Fermi energy is crucial for obtaining significant current rectification, explicit dependence of Fermi energy on the degree of current rectification is also studied for a particular shape of the nanopore. Finally, the role of nanopore size and different spatial distributions of the electrostatic potential profile across the GNR are explored. The stability of the nanopores is also discussed with a possible solution. Given the simplicity of the proposed method and promising results, the present proposition may lead to a new route of getting current rectification in different kinds of materials where nanopores can be formed selectively.

Investigating the thermal stability of metallic and non-metallic nanoparticles using a novel graphene oxide-based transmission electron microscopy heating-membrane

In recent years, graphene has been explored as a heating membrane for studying high-temperature dynamics inside the transmission electron microscope (TEM) due to several limitations with the existing silicon nitride-based membrane. However, the transfer of monolayer graphene films for TEM experiments is challenging and requires many complicated steps with a minimum success rate. This work developed a novelin situheating platform by combining the graphene oxide (GO) flakes in the pre-patterned chips. The isolated GO flake was self-suspended between the metal electrodes by a simple drop-casting process. The GO was reduced and characterized using Raman and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Furthermore, a GO-based heater was used to investigate the thermal stability of gold and silica nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticles evaporated non-uniformly and left an empty carbon shell, while silica disappeared uniformly by etching carbon support. We successfully demonstrated a GO flake as a heating membrane to study high temperature thermal dynamic reactions: melting/evaporation, agglomeration, Rayleigh instability, and formation/or removal of carbon in the nanoparticles.

Pinning in a Contact and Noncontact Manner: Direct Observation of a Three-Phase Contact Line Using Graphene Liquid Cells

Pinning of a three-phase contact line at the nanoscale cannot be explained by conventional macroscale theories and thus requires an experimental insight to understand this phenomenon. We performed in-situ transmission electron microscopy observation of the three-phase contact lines of bubbles inside graphene liquid cells to experimentally investigate the causes of nanoscale pinning. In our observations, the three-phase contact line was not affected by the 0.6 nm-thick inhomogeneity of the graphene surface, but thicker metal nanoparticles with diameters of 2-10 nm and nanoflakes caused pinning of the gas-liquid interface. Notably, we found that flake-like objects can cause pinning that prevents the bubble overcome the flake object in a noncontact state, with a 2 nm-thick liquid film between them and the bubble. This phenomenon can be explained by the repulsive force obtained using the Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek theory. We also observed that the flake temporally prevented the gas-liquid interface moving away from the flake. We discussed the physical mechanism of the attractive force-like phenomenon by considering the nanoconfinement effect of the liquid sandwiched by two graphene sheets and the hydration layer formed near the solid surface.

The Mo catalyzed graphitization of amorphous carbon: an in situ TEM study

For the fabrication of graphene-based nano-scale interconnects, precise control over their position and proper nanoscale soldering are essential. In this work, we report the Joule heat-induced conversion of amorphous carbon to graphene in an in situ TEM setup, using Mo as a catalyst. The catalytic role of Mo during graphene formation has been less explored compared to other metals like Cu or Ni. Compared to metals like Cu, Mo is less subject to electromigration and brittleness, making it suitable for high-temperature electronics. We found that during the electromigration of Mo, amorphous carbon nanofibers (CNFs) can be converted to highly crystalline few-layered graphene. It was also found that during the graphene formation process, agglomerated Mo particles can be effectively channeled to the end of graphene by voltage-driven electromigration. An agglomerated Mo particle between the probe and graphene acted as a soldering agent, providing the prospect of the further exploration of Mo as a nanoscale soldering material. This work explores the double role of Mo: as a catalyst for graphene synthesis and as a soldering material.

Nanocrystalline graphene at high temperatures: insight into nanoscale processes

During high temperature pyrolysis of polymer thin films, nanocrystalline graphene with a high defect density, active edges and various nanostructures is formed. The catalyst-free synthesis is based on the temperature assisted transformation of a polymer precursor. The processing conditions have a strong influence on the final thin film properties. However, the precise elemental processes that govern the polymer pyrolysis at high temperatures are unknown. By means of time resolved in situ transmission electron microscopy investigations we reveal that the reactivity of defects and unsaturated edges plays an integral role in the structural dynamics. Both mobile and stationary structures with varying size, shape and dynamics have been observed. During high temperature experiments, small graphene fragments (nanoflakes) are highly unstable and tend to lose atoms or small groups of atoms, while adjacent larger domains grow by addition of atoms, indicating an Ostwald-like ripening in these 2D materials, besides the mechanism of lateral merging of nanoflakes with edges. These processes are also observed in low-dose experiments with negligible electron beam influence. Based on energy barrier calculations, we propose several inherent temperature-driven mechanisms of atom rearrangement, partially involving catalyzing unsaturated sites. Our results show that the fundamentally different high temperature behavior and stability of nanocrystalline graphene in contrast to pristine graphene is caused by its reactive nature. The detailed analysis of the observed dynamics provides a pioneering overview of the relevant processes during ncg heating.

Role of the carbon source in the transformation of amorphous carbon to graphene during rapid thermal processing

A fast transfer-free synthesis of a graphene structure can be successfully achieved by Ni-catalysed transformation of amorphous carbon (a-C) during rapid thermal processing, but the role of the a-C structure in the a-C-to-graphene transformation is still unclear. In this paper, the dependence of the transformation of a-C to graphene, the diffusion behaviour of C, and the graphene quality on the a-C structures was comparatively investigated by reactive molecular dynamics simulation and Ni was selected as a catalyst. The results demonstrated that different a-C structures affected the diffusion of C into Ni layers and the re-dissolving behaviour of the grown graphitic structures, and thus dominated the remnant number of C atoms, which played a critical role in the formation and quality of graphene.

Transformation of amorphous carbon to graphene on low-index Ni surfaces during rapid thermal processing: a reactive molecular dynamics study

The transformation of amorphous carbon to graphene on different Ni surfaces during rapid thermal processing was explored using reactive molecular dynamics simulation. Due to the difference in activation energy, Ni surfaces affected the diffusion behavior of C into Ni and thus modulated the remnant number of C atoms, dominating the formation and quality of graphene, which accorded with the developed empirical equation.

In Situ Investigation of Defect-Free Copper Nanowire Growth

The fabrication and placement of high purity nanometals, such as one-dimensional copper (Cu) nanowires, for interconnection in integrated devices have been among the most important technological developments in recent years. Structural stability and oxidation prevention have been the key issues, and the defect control in Cu nanowire growth has been found to be important. Here, we report the synthesis of defect-free single-crystalline Cu nanowires by controlling the surface-assisted heterogeneous nucleation of Cu atomic layering on the graphite-like loop of an amorphous carbon (a-C) lacey film surface. Without a metal-catalyst or induced defects, the high quality Cu nanowires formed with high aspect ratio and high growth rate of 578 nm/s. The dynamic study of the growth of heterogeneous nanowires was conducted in situ with a high-resolution transmission electron microscope. The study illuminates the new mechanism by heterogeneous nucleation control and laying the groundwork for better understanding of heterosurface-assisted nucleation of defect-free Cu nanowire on a-C lacey film.

In situ growth of heterostructured Sn/SnO nanospheres embedded in crumpled graphene as an anode material for lithium ion batteries

Heterostructured Sn/SnO core–shell nanospheres embedded in graphene have been prepared by heating tin oleate coated on the surface of sodium carbonate crystals, and they exhibit excellent electrochemical performance for LIBs.

Electrical Breakdown of Suspended Mono- and Few-Layer Tungsten Disulfide via Sulfur Depletion Identified by in Situ Atomic Imaging

The high-bias and breakdown behavior of suspended mono- and few-layer WS₂ was explored by in situ aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. The suspended WS₂ devices were found to undergo irreversible breakdown at sufficiently high biases due to vaporization of the WS₂. Simultaneous to the removal of WS₂ was the accompanying formation of few-layer graphene decorated with W and WS₂ nanoparticles, with the carbon source attributed to organic residues present on the WS₂ surface. The breakdown of few-layer WS₂ resulted in the formation of faceted S-depleted WS₂ tendrils along the vaporization boundary, which were found to exhibit lattice contraction indicative of S depletion, alongside pure W phases incorporated into the structure, with the interfaces imaged at atomic resolution. The combination of observing the graphitization of the amorphous carbon surface residue, W nanoparticles, and S-depleted WS₂ phases following the high-bias WS₂ disintegration all indicate a thermal Joule heating breakdown mechanism over an avalanche process, with WS₂ destruction promoted by preferential S emission. The observation of graphene formation and the role the thin amorphous carbon layer has in the prebreakdown behavior of the device demonstrate the importance of employing encapsulated heterostructure device architectures that exclude residues.

Understanding the graphitization and growth of free-standing nanocrystalline graphene using in situ transmission electron microscopy

Graphitization of polymers is an effective way to synthesize nanocrystalline graphene on different substrates with tunable shape, thickness and properties. The catalyst free synthesis results in crystallite sizes on the order of a few nanometers, significantly smaller than commonly prepared polycrystalline graphene. Even though this method provides the flexibility of graphitizing polymer films on different substrates, substrate free graphitization of freestanding polymer layers has not been studied yet. We report for the first time the thermally induced graphitization and domain growth of free-standing nanocrystalline graphene thin films using in situ TEM techniques. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) techniques were used to analyze the graphitization and the evolution of nanocrystalline domains at different temperatures by characterizing the crystallinity and domain size, further supported by ex situ Raman spectroscopy. The graphitization was comparable to the substrate supported heating and the temperature dependence of graphitization was analyzed. In addition, the in situ analysis of the graphitization enabled direct imaging of some of the growth processes taking place at different temperatures.

Toward the control of graphenic foams

Graphene-based materials are extensively studied, due to their excellent properties and their wide range of possible applications. Attention has recently been paid to three-dimensional-like graphenic structures, such as crumpled graphene sheets and graphenic foams: these kinds of materials can combine the properties of graphene associating high surface area and porosity, what is particularly interesting for energy or catalysis applications. Most of the synthesis methods leading to such structures are based on graphite oxide exfoliation and re-assembly, but in this work we focus on the preparation of graphenic foams by a solvothermal-based process. We performed a solvothermal reaction between ethanol and sodium at 220°C, during 72 h, under 200 bar, followed by a pyrolysis under nitrogen flow. An extended study of the influence of the temperature (800°C–900°C) of pyrolysis evidences an unexpected strong effect of this parameter on the characteristics of the materials. The optimal conditions provide multi-layer graphene (10 layers) foam with a surface area of 2000 m2·g−1. This work is an important step for the understanding of the mechanisms of the thermal treatment. Post-treatments in different experimental conditions are performed in order to modulate the structure and properties of the graphenic foams.

Direct CVD Graphene Growth on Semiconductors and Dielectrics for Transfer-Free Device Fabrication

Graphene is the most broadly discussed and studied two-dimensional material because of its preeminent physical, mechanical, optical, and thermal properties. Until now, metal-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been widely employed for the scalable production of high-quality graphene. However, in order to incorporate the graphene into electronic devices, a transfer process from metal substrates to targeted substrates is inevitable. This process usually results in contamination, wrinkling, and breakage of graphene samples - undesirable in graphene-based technology and not compatible with industrial production. Therefore, direct graphene growth on desired semiconductor and dielectric substrates is considered as an effective alternative. Over the past years, there have been intensive investigations to realize direct graphene growth using CVD methods without the catalytic role of metals. Owing to the low catalytic activity of non-metal substrates for carbon precursor decomposition and graphene growth, several strategies have been designed to facilitate and engineer graphene fabrication on semiconductors and insulators. Here, those developed strategies for direct CVD graphene growth on semiconductors and dielectrics for transfer-free fabrication of electronic devices are reviewed. By employing these methods, various graphene-related structures can be directly prepared on desired substrates and exhibit excellent performance, providing versatile routes for varied graphene-based materials fabrication.

An ab initio study of the nickel-catalyzed transformation of amorphous carbon into graphene in rapid thermal processing

Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations are employed to investigate the chemical mechanism underlying the Ni-catalyzed transformation of amorphous carbon (a-C) into graphene in the rapid thermal processing (RTP) experiment to directly grow graphene on various dielectric surfaces via the evaporation of surplus Ni and C at 1100 °C (below the melting point of bulk Ni). It is found that the a-C-to-graphene transformation entails the metal-induced crystallization and layer exchange mechanism, rather than the conventional dissolution/precipitation mechanism typically involved in Ni-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of graphene. The multi-layer graphene can be tuned by changing the relative thicknesses of deposited a-C and Ni thin films. Our AIMD simulations suggest that the easy evaporation of surplus Ni with excess C is likely attributed to the formation of a viscous-liquid-like Ni-C solution within the temperature range of 900-1800 K and to the faster diffusion of C atoms than that of Ni atoms above 600 K. Even at room temperature, sp(3)-C atoms in a-C are quickly converted to sp(2)-C atoms in the course of the simulation, and the graphitic C formation can occur at low temperature. When the temperature is as high as 1200 K, the grown graphitic structures reversely dissolve into Ni. Because the rate of temperature increase is considerably faster in the AIMD simulations than in realistic experiments, defects in the grown graphitic structures are kinetically trapped. In this kinetic growth stage, the carbon structures grown from sp(3)-carbon or from sp(2)-carbon exhibit marked differences.

Direct fabrication of 3D graphene on nanoporous anodic alumina by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

High surface area electrode materials are of interest for a wide range of potential applications such as super-capacitors and electrochemical cells. This paper describes a fabrication method of three-dimensional (3D) graphene conformally coated on nanoporous insulating substrate with uniform nanopore size. 3D graphene films were formed by controlled graphitization of diamond-like amorphous carbon precursor films, deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). Plasma-assisted graphitization was found to produce better quality graphene than a simple thermal graphitization process. The resulting 3D graphene/amorphous carbon/alumina structure has a very high surface area, good electrical conductivity and exhibits excellent chemically stability, providing a good material platform for electrochemical applications. Consequently very large electrochemical capacitance values, as high as 2.1 mF for a sample of 10 mm³, were achieved. The electrochemical capacitance of the material exhibits a dependence on bias voltage, a phenomenon observed by other groups when studying graphene quantum capacitance. The plasma-assisted graphitization, which dominates the graphitization process, is analyzed and discussed in detail.

Full graphitization of amorphous carbon by microwave heating

Natural graphite is labelled as a supply risk material due to rapidly increasing demand and limited reserves.

High Quality Monolayer Graphene Synthesized by Resistive Heating Cold Wall Chemical Vapor Deposition

The growth of graphene using resistive‐heating cold‐wall chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is demonstrated. This technique is 100 times faster and 99% lower cost than standard CVD. A study of Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron micro­scopy, and electrical magneto‐transport measurements shows that cold‐wall CVD graphene is of comparable quality to natural graphene. Finally, the first transparent flexible graphene capacitive touch‐sensor is demonstrated.

Controlled formation of closed-edge nanopores in graphene

Dangling bonds at the edge of a nanopore in monolayer graphene make it susceptible to back-filling at low temperatures from atmospheric hydrocarbons, leading to potential instability for nanopore applications, such as DNA sequencing. We show that closed edge nanopores in bilayer graphene are robust to back-filling under atmospheric conditions for days. A controlled method for closed edge nanopore formation starting from monolayer graphene is reported using an in situ heating holder and electron beam irradiation within an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. Tailoring of closed-edge nanopore sizes is demonstrated from 1.4-7.4 nm. These results should provide mechanisms for improving the stability of nanopores in graphene for a wide range of applications involving mass transport.

Low voltage transmission electron microscopy of graphene

The initial isolation of graphene in 2004 spawned massive interest in this two-dimensional pure sp(2) carbon structure due to its incredible electrical, optical, mechanical, and thermal effects. This in turn led to the rapid development of various characterization tools for graphene. Examples include Raman spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. However, the one tool with the greatest prowess for characterizing and studying graphene is the transmission electron microscope. State-of-the-art (scanning) transmission electron microscopes enable one to image graphene with atomic resolution, and also to conduct various other characterizations simultaneously. The advent of aberration correctors was timely in that it allowed transmission electron microscopes to operate with reduced acceleration voltages, so that damage to graphene is avoided while still providing atomic resolution. In this comprehensive review, a brief introduction is provided to the technical aspects of transmission electron microscopes relevant to graphene. The reader is then introduced to different specimen preparation techniques for graphene. The different characterization approaches in both transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy are then discussed, along with the different aspects of electron diffraction and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The use of graphene for other electron microscopy approaches such as in-situ investigations is also presented.

Role of morphological structure, doping, and coating of different materials in the sensing characteristics of humidity sensors

The humidity sensing characteristics of different sensing materials are important properties in order to monitor different products or events in a wide range of industrial sectors, research and development laboratories as well as daily life. The primary aim of this study is to compare the sensing characteristics, including impedance or resistance, capacitance, hysteresis, recovery and response times, and stability with respect to relative humidity, frequency, and temperature, of different materials. Various materials, including ceramics, semiconductors, and polymers, used for sensing relative humidity have been reviewed. Correlations of the different electrical characteristics of different doped sensor materials as the most unique feature of a material have been noted. The electrical properties of different sensor materials are found to change significantly with the morphological changes, doping concentration of different materials and film thickness of the substrate. Various applications and scopes are pointed out in the review article. We extensively reviewed almost all main kinds of relative humidity sensors and how their electrical characteristics vary with different doping concentrations, film thickness and basic sensing materials. Based on statistical tests, the zinc oxide-based sensing material is best for humidity sensor design since it shows extremely low hysteresis loss, minimum response and recovery times and excellent stability.

Direct synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets with high surface area and excellent oxygen reduction performance

Graphene-like nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets (NCN) have become a fascinating carbon-based material for advanced energy storage and conversion devices, but its easy, cheap, and environmentally friendly synthesis is still a grand challenge. Herein we directly synthesized porous NCN material via the facile pyrolysis of chitosan and urea without the requirement of any catalyst or post-treatment. As-prepared material exhibits a very large BET surface area of ~1510 m(2) g(-1) and a high ratio of graphitic/pyridinic nitrogen structure (2.69 at. % graphitic N and 1.20 at. % pyridinic N). Moreover, compared to a commercial Pt/C catalyst, NCN displays excellent electrocatalytic activity, better long-term stability, and methanol tolerance ability toward the oxygen reduction reaction, indicating a promising metal-free alternative to Pt-based cathode catalysts in alkaline fuel cells. This scalable fabrication method supplies a low-cost, high-efficiency metal-free oxygen reduction electrocatalyst and also suggests an economic and sustainable route from biomass-based molecules to value-added nanocarbon materials.

The seeded growth of graphene

In this paper, we demonstrate the seeded growth of graphene under a plasma chemical vapor deposition condition. First, we fabricate graphene nanopowders (~5 nm) by ball-milling commercial multi-wall carbon nanotubes. The graphene nanoparticles were subsequently subject to a direct current plasma generated in a 100 Torr 10%CH₄ - 90%H₂ gas mixture. The plasma growth enlarged, over one hour, the nuclei to graphene sheets larger than one hundred nm² in area. Characterization by electron and X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images provide evidence for the presence of monolayer graphene sheets.

Structure and transport properties of the interface between CVD-grown graphene domains

During the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of graphene, graphene domains grown on a Cu surface merge together and form a uniform graphene sheet. For high-performance electronics and other applications, it is important to understand the interfacial structure of the merged domains, as well as their influence on the physical properties of graphene. We synthesized large hexagonal graphene domains with controlled orientations on a heteroepitaxial Cu film and studied the structure and properties of the interfaces between the domains mainly merged with the same angle. Although the merged domains have various interfaces with/without wrinkles and/or increased defect-related Raman D-band intensity, the intra-domain transport showed higher carrier mobility reaching 20,000 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) on SiO2 at 280 K (the mean value was 7200 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)) than that measured for inter-domain areas, 6400 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) (mean value 2000 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)). The temperature dependence of the mobility suggests that impurity scattering dominates at the interface even for the merged domains with the same orientation. This study highlights the importance of domain interfaces, especially on the carrier transport properties, in CVD-grown graphene.

Stabilization of graphene nanopore

Graphene is an ultrathin, impervious membrane. The controlled introduction of nanoscale pores in graphene would lead to applications that involve water purification, chemical separation, and DNA sequencing. However, graphene nanopores are unstable against filling by carbon adatoms. Here, using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and density-functional calculations, we report that Si atoms stabilize graphene nanopores by bridging the dangling bonds around the perimeter of the hole. Si-passivated pores remain intact even under intense electron beam irradiation, and they were observed several months after the sample fabrication, demonstrating that these structures are intrinsically robust and stable against carbon filling. Theoretical calculations reveal the underlying mechanism for this stabilization effect: Si atoms bond strongly to the graphene edge, and their preference for tetrahedral coordination forces C adatoms to form dendrites sticking out of the graphene plane, instead of filling the nanopore. Our results provide a novel way to develop stable nanopores, which is a major step toward reliable graphene-based molecular translocation devices.

In situ catalytic growth of large-area multilayered graphene/MoS2 heterostructures

Stacking various two-dimensional atomic crystals on top of each other is a feasible approach to create unique multilayered heterostructures with desired properties. Herein for the first time, we present a controlled preparation of large-area graphene/MoS₂ heterostructures via a simple heating procedure on Mo-oleate complex coated sodium sulfate under N₂ atmosphere. Through a direct in situ catalytic reaction, graphene layer has been uniformly grown on the MoS₂ film formed by the reaction of Mo species with S pecies, which is from the carbothermal reduction of sodium sulfate. Due to the excellent graphene “painting” on MoS₂ atomic layers, the significantly shortened lithium ion diffusion distance and the markedly enhanced electronic conductivity, these multilayered graphene/MoS₂ heterostructures exhibit high specific capacity, unprecedented rate performance and outstanding cycling stability, especially at a high current density, when used as an anode material for lithium batteries. This work provides a simple but efficient route for the controlled fabrication of large-area multilayered graphene/metal sulfide heterostructures with promising applications in battery manufacture, electronics or catalysis.