Aqueous Dispersions of Graphene from Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphite

A facile and environmentally friendly synthetic strategy for the production of stable and easily processable dispersions of graphene in water is presented. This strategy represents an alternative to classical chemical exfoliation methods (for example the Hummers method) that are more complex, harmful, and dangerous. The process is based on the electrochemical exfoliation of graphite and includes three simple steps: 1) the anodic exfoliation of graphite in (NH4)2SO4, 2) sonication to separate the oxidized graphene sheets, and 3) reduction of oxidized graphene to graphene. The procedure makes it possible to convert around 30 wt % of the initial graphite into graphene with short processing times and high yields. The graphene sheets are well dispersed in water, have a carbon/oxygen atomic ratio of 11.7, a lateral size of about 0.5–1 μm, and contain only a few graphene layers, most of which are bilayer sheets. The processability of this type of aqueous dispersion has been demonstrated in the fabrication of macroscopic graphene structures, such as graphene aerogels and graphene films, which have been successfully employed as absorbents or as electrodes in supercapacitors, respectively.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sevilla Solís, Marta, Álvarez Ferrero, Guillermo, Fuertes Arias, Antonio Benito
Other Authors: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España)
Format: artículo biblioteca
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2016-10-24
Subjects:Electrochemistry, Exfoliation, Graphene, Surface analysis, Synthesis design,
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/142673
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003329
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100011941
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