Controllable selective exfoliation of high-quality graphene nanosheets and nanodots by ionic liquid assisted grinding.
Bulk quantities of graphene nanosheets and nanodots have been selectively fabricated by mechanical grinding exfoliation of natural graphite in a small quantity of ionic liquids. The resulting graphene sheets and dots are solvent free with low levels of naturally absorbed oxygen, inherited from the starting graphite. The sheets are only two to five layers thick. The graphene nanodots have diameters in the range of 9-29 nm and heights in the range of 1-16 nm, which can be controlled by changing the processing time.
Nanotechnology and Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre, NIBEC, School of Engineering, University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, BT37 0QB, UK. ngshang@hotmail.com
Nai Gui
NG
Shang
Pagona
P
Papakonstantinou
Surbhi
S
Sharma
Gennady
G
Lubarsky
Meixian
M
Li
David W
DW
McNeill
Aidan J
AJ
Quinn
Wuzong
W
Zhou
Ross
R
Blackley
D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D055772:Green Chemistry Technology / Q000379:methods*; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*
D052578:Ionic Liquids; D006108:Graphite