Ultrahigh-throughput exfoliation of graphite into pristine 'single-layer' graphene using microwaves and molecularly engineered ionic liquids

Michio Matsumoto, Yusuke Saito, Chiyoung Park, Takanori Fukushima, Takuzo Aida

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

312 Scopus citations

Abstract

Graphene has shown much promise as an organic electronic material but, despite recent achievements in the production of few-layer graphene, the quantitative exfoliation of graphite into pristine single-layer graphene has remained one of the main challenges in developing practical devices. Recently, reduced graphene oxide has been recognized as a non-feasible alternative to graphene owing to variable defect types and levels, and attention is turning towards reliable methods for the high-throughput exfoliation of graphite. Here we report that microwave irradiation of graphite suspended in molecularly engineered oligomeric ionic liquids allows for ultrahigh-efficiency exfoliation (93% yield) with a high selectivity (95%) towards 'single-layer' graphene (that is, with thicknesses <1nm) in a short processing time (30 minutes). The isolated graphene sheets show negligible structural deterioration. They are also readily redispersible in oligomeric ionic liquids up to ∼100 mg ml -1, and form physical gels in which an anisotropic orientation of graphene sheets, once induced by a magnetic field, is maintained.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)730-736
Number of pages7
JournalNature Chemistry
Volume7
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 22 Sep 2015

Bibliographical note

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