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Updated: Jun 9, 2025
Exfoliation and Analysis of Large-area, Air-Sensitive Two-Dimensional Materials
Published on: January 5, 2019
Supercritical mechano-exfoliation process
Hao Zhang1, Qixuan Xiang1, Zhiyuan Liu1
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, PR China.
Abstract:
The intricate balance among cost, output, and quality has substantially hindered the practical application of graphene within the downstream industry chain. Here we present a scalable and green supercritical CO2-assisted mechano-exfoliation (SCME) process that omits the use of organic solvents and oxidants throughout the production lifecycle, including exfoliation, separation, and purification. The SCME process achieves graphene powder space-time yields exceeding 40 kg/(m³·day) at laboratory (0.06-0.2 kg) and pilot scales ( > 4 kg), with resultant free-standing films showing conductivities up to 5.26 × 10⁵ S/m. Further kinetic investigations propose general guidelines for grinding-assisted exfoliation: (1) the macroscopic optimizing ability of mechanotechnics for mass transfer frequency and stress distribution and (2) the microscopic multiplication ability of exfoliation medium for shear-delamination. The comprehensive techno-economic analysis also underscores the economic viability of the SCME process for large-scale production.
