title: Structure and morphology of charged graphene platelets in solution by small-angle neutron scattering.
abstract: Solutions of negatively charged graphene (graphenide) platelets were produced by intercalation of nanographite with liquid potassium-ammonia followed by dissolution in tetrahydrofuran. The structure and morphology of these solutions were then investigated by small-angle neutron scattering. We found that >95 vol % of the solute is present as single-layer graphene sheets. These charged sheets are flat over a length scale of >150 Å in solution and are strongly solvated by a shell of solvent molecules. Atomic force microscopy on drop-coated thin films corroborated the presence of monolayer graphene sheets. Our dissolution method thus offers a significant increase in the monodispersity achievable in graphene solutions.
authors.affiliation: London Centre for Nanotechnology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: Emily M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Milner
authors.forename: Neal T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Skipper
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Milo S P
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shaffer
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: K Adam
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rahnejat
authors.forename: Patrick L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: Richard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Heenan
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lindner
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schweins