Electrochemical exfoliation: A cost-effective approach to produce graphene nanoplatelets in bulk quantities

Graphene is nowadays prepared as a single sheet of carbon atoms or as bulk material composed of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). A starting material for the production of GNPs is graphite and thus this material modification offers to become a cost-effective form of nanocarbon. In this chapter the focus is given to the electrochemical exfoliation method and its potential up-scaling. In this particular case the direct current anodic process is taken into consideration. Systematical study shows the effect of electrolytes and electrode materials (graphite types) on the properties of the product by means of exfoliation and functionalization. Filtration of small amounts of GNPs results in thin films between 100 and 400 nm thick. The product was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and SEM microscopy. The analysis shows that we have prepared functionalized graphene nanoplatelets, which are readily dispersible in water. The chapter shows annealing method to reduce the oxidized graphene nanoplatelets to regain conductivity. Raman spectroscopy describes change of oxidated GNP to almost identical structure of original graphite material.