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Synthesis of Graphene Nanofluids with Controllable Flake Size Distributions
Published on: July 17, 2019
Graphene via sonication assisted liquid-phase exfoliation.
Artur Ciesielski1, Paolo Samorì
1Nanochemistry Laboratory, ISIS & icFRC, Université de Strasbourg & CNRS, 8 allée Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France. samori@unistra.fr.
Chemical Society Reviews
|September 5, 2013
Summary
Liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) offers a versatile and scalable method for producing high-quality graphene and other 2D materials. This review details LPE mechanisms, characterization, and various techniques for graphene production.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemistry
Background:
- Graphene, a 2D carbon allotrope, exhibits exceptional electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, driving significant scientific and technological interest.
- Current graphene production methods include bottom-up (molecular synthesis) and top-down (graphite exfoliation) strategies.
- Bottom-up methods face limitations in size and side reactions, while top-down approaches, particularly liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE), are gaining prominence due to their versatility and scalability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in the high-quality production of graphene using liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) of graphite.
- To discuss the underlying mechanisms and characterization techniques pertinent to graphene exfoliation.
- To categorize and present various successful LPE methods, differentiating between surfactant-free and surfactant-assisted approaches.
Main Methods:
- Focus on top-down approaches, specifically liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) of graphite.
- Categorization of LPE methods into surfactant-free and surfactant-assisted techniques.
- Discussion of exfoliation processes in both aqueous and organic solutions.
Main Results:
- LPE is a highly versatile and scalable method for producing graphene and other layered materials (e.g., BN, MoS2, WS2).
- LPE enables the tuning of material properties and the creation of graphene-based composites and films for diverse applications.
- Successful high-quality graphene production via LPE has been demonstrated, with detailed insights into exfoliation mechanisms and characterization.
Conclusions:
- Liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) represents a significant advancement in the scalable and versatile production of high-quality graphene.
- LPE facilitates the development of novel materials and composites with tunable properties for applications in electronics and energy.
- Further exploration of LPE mechanisms and methodologies will continue to drive innovation in 2D materials science.
