Heat‐Controlled Growth Modes of Nanostructured Films at the Hydrocarbon–Graphene Nanofluid Interface

ABSTRACT Studying the mechanisms of thin film formation at interphase boundaries remains an important issue in fundamental and applied science. In the present work, a study of the interactions between graphene nanoparticles and hydrocarbons at the interface of immiscible liquids is carried out to understand the mechanisms affecting the formation of triclinic crystal nanostructures. An original setup and method for growing a film from hydrocarbon molecules and graphene nanoplatelets at the hydrocarbon‐aqueous graphene nanofluid (GNF) interface are proposed. Using the X‐ray diffraction analysis and molecular mechanical simulation, the film structure was elucidated. The film growth mechanism was found to be associated with the self‐organization of graphene nanoparticles at the GNF–hydrocarbon interface. Furthermore, the work proposes an adapted analytical function that sets up a link between control parameters and film structure. Thus, it was established that the control parameters of film growth modes represent heat removal from the interface and system temperature. As a result, three film growth modes, leading to different structures, were identified. With rapid heat removal, slow growth of the film takes place, and fractal structures resembling Mandelbrot type patterns are formed. On the contrary, with slow heat removal, rapid growth of the film occurs, and a continuous homogeneous structure is formed. With increasing initial system temperature explosive growth is observed resulting in the formation of an amorphous film. These results prove that controlled heat removal at the nanofluid–hydrocarbon interface provides a mechanism for regulating the architecture and growth dynamics of graphene‐based nanostructured films.