Impact of solvent temperature on graphite shear exfoliation efficiency

Abstract

Liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) of graphite is a promising pathway for graphene flakes (GF) due to its scalability and cost-effectiveness. However, the method has significant limits at the industrial scale, such as low yield of GF and long processing times. In this study, we investigate the effect of organic solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and methyl-5-(dimethylamino)-2-methyl-5-oxopentanoate (PolarClean) temperature on shear-induced exfoliation. The GF concentration was successfully obtained 0.62 mg/ml in NMP and 0.68 mg/ml in PolarClean within just 2 h at 263 K, without surfactants or any additional additives. These results revealed the improved exfoliation efficiency due to changes in solvent polarity, surface tension, and dispersion stability with increased viscosity. In addition, we investigate the optimization conditions required for liter-scale shear-induced exfoliation of graphite in PolarClean. As-prepared GF has significant potential as an effective nanofiller for enhancing the mechanical strength of commercial polymers. This study not only advances the understanding of the LPE mechanisms but also paves the way for the industrial application of this method in the green synthesis of graphene-based nanocomposites.