▎ 摘　　要

NOVELTY - Synthesizing graphene comprises: refluxing a reaction mixture comprising at least one solvent and at least one carbonaceous material promoting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon formation under conditions that inhibit complete combustion of the carbonaceous material; collecting vapors produced by the reflux of the reaction mixture; directing the vapors to a substrate, after which graphene is deposited on the surface of the substrate; and recovering graphene from the surface of the substrate. USE - The methods are useful for synthesizing graphene or its oxide, which are useful: for lubricating a mechanical system containing at least one internal friction surface having asperities (all claimed); as polishing agents and tribologically-beneficial lubricant additives; and in nanotechnology, machining and tooling, lubrication, metalworking, drilling, mining, paint manufacturing, anti-corrosion coating manufacturing, rock tunneling, routing, mold fabrication, optical lens manufacturing, military engineering, gem cutting and polishing, aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, high-speed rail, marine engineering, medicine, nuclear medicine, medical imaging and diagnostics, trucking, cranes and heavy equipment manufacturing, farm equipment manufacturing, motorcycle manufacturing, electric motor fabrication, cable and wire manufacturing, sanding, nuclear, solar, wind and conventional electric power generation, hydroelectric power generation, electronics, integrated circuit technology, battery technology, polishing compound manufacturing, steel manufacturing, metal polishing, and chemical hardening of metal surfaces. ADVANTAGE - The methods provide graphene or its oxide which: exhibits near frictionless perfection in metallic interacting surfaces; allows the engine, turbo, or turbine to produce greater useful horsepower and torque than when lubricated with a conventional lubricant because friction is decreased through the lubricating and polishing effect of the lubricating compositions; produces highly inert, safe and infinitesimally small vectors for delivering radioactive isotopes, other metal ions, or other therapeutic agents bound to ions, to locations within the body for therapeutic reasons or to enhance the resolution of magnetic or other diagnostic images; provides an economical dehydration reaction or reflux pyrolysis to form graphitic carbon from a carbonaceous material carbon source, thus the methods are upscalable for industrial production of larger graphene/graphene oxide sheets; and reduces the friction between wear surfaces by micro-polishing the wear surfaces to a lower surface roughness over time while lubricating the system during operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for: (1) producing graphene oxide comprising: refluxing a reaction mixture comprising at least one solvent, at least one oxidizer and at least one compound promoting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon formation under conditions to prevent the complete combustion of the carbon source into carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide; collecting a vapor stream produced by the reflux of the reaction mixture; directing the vapor stream to a substrate, after which graphene oxide is deposited on the surface of the substrate; and recovering graphene oxide from the surface of the substrate; (2) a lubricating composition for a mechanical system comprising: a base lubricant; and at least one carbon-containing additive that forms at least one graphitic carbon-containing structure when the lubricating composition is exposed to heat sufficient to create locally pyrolytic conditions within a mechanical system in which it is utilized; (3) a lubricating composition for a mechanical system comprising: a base lubricant; and graphene, graphene oxide or at least one Bucky-diamond, where the graphene or graphene oxide is formed prior to combination with the base lubricant and at least one of the Bucky-diamonds comprises iron or an iron-containing molecule; and (4) lubricating a mechanical system containing at least one internal friction surface having asperities, comprising operating the mechanical system with a lubricating composition comprising a nano-polishing agent and removing substantially all of the asperities from an internal friction surface of the mechanical system, where the lubricating composition comprises a base lubricant and at least one carbon-containing additive that forms at least one nano-polishing agent when the lubricating composition is exposed to locally pyrolitic conditions within the mechanical system in which it is utilized.