Microwave assisted synthesis and characterization of graphene nanoplatelets

Abstract

Graphene Nanoplatelets were fabricated from expandable graphite by rapid microwave exfoliation. Expandable graphite was irradiated in microwave in full power for 3 min, then was soaked in mixed nitric acid and sulphuric acid at volume ratio of 1:1 for 24 h and re-irradiated, thus graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were obtained. Extensive characterization techniques showed that GNPs synthesized using this technique are highly pure with traces of oxide groups and without serious unrecoverable oxidation damage. GNPs synthesized by microwave technique have high crystallinity, with variable size and little layer thickness.