A review of low-cost approaches to synthesize graphene and its functional composites

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have sought intensive research attention from diverse scientific disciplines due to their unique and exciting properties. The most well-known 2D material is graphene that finds applications in various physical and life sciences fields. There has been a surge in the protocols available to synthesize graphene during the last two decades. Furthermore, several of these protocols have been revisited to improve the quality and yield of graphene that has resulted in a large body of literature. Young researchers, however, may not be entirely aware of these approaches. This review attempts to highlight the synthesis schemes that students and researchers could quickly adopt—even those having limited access to sophisticated tools. This review focuses on the top-down synthesis schemes that use low-end readily available equipment, benefitting the inexperienced and under-equipped researchers. This review's primary goal is to reach out to the young students, researchers, and technocrats working in diverse fields (not limited to nanoscience), to provide them with a roadmap for graphene synthesis. We will also present students entering academia with exciting applications that can be undertaken in university laboratories and high schools. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].