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Chinese researchers discovered naturally formed few-layer graphene for the first time through observation and analysis of lunar soil and rock fragments drilled by the Chang'e-5 rover.

According to a report by Science and Technology Daily on Sunday (June 23, 2024), researchers from Jilin University, the Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, etc., discovered for the first time naturally formed few-layer graphene through observation and analysis of the lunar soil of the Chang'e-5 drilling debris.

The report said that the relevant research provides new insights into the geological activities and evolution history of the moon and the environmental characteristics of the moon, and provides important information and clues for the in-situ resource utilization of the moon.

It is estimated that about 1.9% of the total interstellar carbon exists in the form of graphene, and its morphology and properties are determined by a specific formation process. Therefore, the composition and structural characteristics of natural graphene will provide important reference and information for the geological evolution of celestial bodies and the in-situ resource utilization of the moon.

In this study, the research team used the electron microscope-Raman combination technology to collect Raman spectra at locations where the carbon content of the lunar soil samples was relatively high, confirming that the crystal quality of graphite carbon in the lunar soil samples was relatively high. It is worth noting that the areas where carbon exists in the lunar soil samples contain iron compounds, which are closely related to the formation of graphene.