Graphite to graphene transition studied and controlled

Researchers from the University of Arkansas have managed to study and control the transition from graphite to graphene. Normally this transition can be random, but the new technique (called electrostatic manipulation scanning tunneling microscopy) stabilizes the transition and study it.

The new technique uses a moving surface, unlike traditional methods that use a static surface. Using this technique, the researchers can tell how much force it takes to create graphene and how much distance exists between graphene and the graphite as well as to track the total energy of the process.