Direct Growth of Graphene over Insulators by Gaseous‐Promotor‐Assisted CVD: Progress and Prospects

Abstract Utilizing a direct chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach to allow transfer‐free synthesis of graphene on insulating substrates is appealing. Nevertheless, the quality and uniformity of thus‐grown graphene without the aid of any catalyst stay normally inferior to that of graphene formed on metals by far. This mainly stems from the catalytic inertness of the insulating surface with regard to the decomposition of carbon feedstock. In this respect, delicate methodologies have been devised to date to boost the quality of directly‐grown graphene. In this Minireview, recent advances in the direct CVD growth of graphene on insulators by introducing various gaseous promotors is covered. The effects and mechanisms of different types of promotors on the direct growth are discussed. At the end, existing challenges and future perspectives in this field are further highlighted.