Chemical Mass Production of Graphene Nanoplatelets in ∼100% Yield
Ayrat M. Dimiev,†,⊥ Gabriel Ceriotti,† Andrew Metzger,† Nam Dong Kim,† and James M. Tour*,†,‡,§,∥ †
Departments of Chemistry, ‡Materials Science and NanoEngineering, and §Computer Science, and ∥The Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University, MS-222, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States S Supporting Information *
ABSTRACT: Successful application of graphene is hampered by the lack of cost-effective methods for its production. Here, we demonstrate a method of mass production of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) by exfoliation of flake graphite in the tricomponent system made by a combination of ammonium persulfate ((NH4)2S2O8), concentrated sulfuric acid, and fuming sulfuric acid. The resulting GNPs are tens of microns in diameter and 10−35 nm in thickness. When in the liquid phase of the tricomponent media, graphite completely loses its interlayer registry. This provides a ∼100% yield of GNPs from graphite in 3−4 h at room temperature or in 10 min at 120 °C. KEYWORDS: graphene nanoplatelets, graphite exfoliation
O
as a positive electrode, the resulting graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) are partially oxidized due to the high positive potentials applied to the graphite electrode. As of this publication, only the electrochemical approach leads to efficient exfoliation. Other reports do not demonstrate essential experimental evidence for the efficient exfoliation of graphite. Indeed, while some graphene flakes are obtained and presented, the degree of graphite exfoliation is
