Published on Web 02/19/2009
Liquid Phase Production of Graphene by Exfoliation of Graphite in Surfactant/Water Solutions Mustafa Lotya,† Yenny Hernandez,† Paul J. King,† Ronan J. Smith,† Valeria Nicolosi,‡ Lisa S. Karlsson,‡ Fiona M. Blighe,† Sukanta De,†,§ Zhiming Wang,† I. T. McGovern,† Georg S. Duesberg,§,| and Jonathan N. Coleman*,†,§ School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland, Department of Materials, UniVersity of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH, United Kingdom, CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland, and School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland Received September 29, 2008; E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract: We have demonstrated a method to disperse and exfoliate graphite to give graphene suspended in water-surfactant solutions. Optical characterization of these suspensions allowed the partial optimization of the dispersion process. Transmission electron microscopy showed the dispersed phase to consist of small graphitic flakes. More than 40% of these flakes had
