Solvothermal-assisted exfoliation process to produce graphene with high yield and high quality

Abstract

Monolayer and bilayer graphene sheets have been produced by a solvothermal-assisted exfoliation process in a highly polar organic solvent, acetonitrile, using expanded graphite (EG) as the starting material. It is proposed that the dipole-induced dipole interactions between graphene and acetonitrile facilitate the exfoliation and dispersion of graphene. The facile and effective solvothermal-assisted exfoliation process raises the low yield of graphene reported in previous syntheses to 10 wt%–12 wt%. By means of centrifugation at 2000 rpm for 90 min, monolayer and bilayer graphene were separated effectively without the need to add a stabilizer or modifier. Electron diffraction and Raman spectroscopy indicate that the resulting graphene sheets are high quality products without any significant structural defects.