title: Rapid and efficient synthesis of soluble graphene nanosheets using N-methyl-p-aminophenol sulfate as a reducing agent.
abstract: Mass production of soluble graphene still remains a challenge, although several methodologies have been proposed. Here we report a rapid and efficient method for the synthesis of soluble graphene nanosheets (GNSs) with long-term dispersion stability in both aqueous and common organic solvents. Within only 12 min at 95 °C, exfoliated graphite oxide in ammonia solution (pH 10) was reduced to soluble GNSs using N-methyl-p-aminophenol sulfate (metol) as a reducing agent without external stabilizers. The prepared GNSs were characterized by different techniques and a comparison of metol and hydrazine hydrate as reducing agents was made. The results indicated that, with the advantages of being rapid, efficient, inexpensive and relatively environmentally friendly, the reduction of graphite oxide into soluble GNSs by metol is a promising substitute for hydrazine hydrate in the mass production of soluble GNSs.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Applications of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xialie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Zhanpeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang