turbostratische

Turbostratic is a term used to describe a type of stacking disorder in layered materials where successive layers are randomly rotated and translated with respect to each other along the stacking direction. The disorder results in little or no registry between adjacent layers, while the in-plane lattice of each layer remains relatively intact. The concept is applied across fields such as geology, mineralogy, and materials science, particularly in carbon-based systems and layered silicates.

In graphite and related carbon materials, turbostratic stacking means that graphene-like layers are misaligned in the c-axis direction, with random rotational angles and translations between layers. This decouples the layers, reducing interlayer interactions and effectively turning a three-dimensional stack into a collection of quasi-two-dimensional sheets. As a consequence, properties related to interlayer coupling, such as electrical conduction perpendicular to the sheets, can differ markedly from those of well-ordered graphite.

Detection and characterization of turbostratic stacking rely on diffraction and spectroscopic techniques. X-ray diffraction typically shows broad, weak, and sometimes shifted 002 reflections due to the loss of long-range order along the stacking direction. Electron diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy can reveal misorientation between layers, while Raman spectroscopy may display changes in the 2D band associated with altered interlayer coupling.

Turbostratic disorder can arise during synthesis, processing, or mechanical treatment, including milling, exfoliation, or rapid cooling, and it is often exploited to facilitate exfoliation into few-layer graphene or to tailor diffusion and mechanical properties in layered materials.