Aqueous cellulose solution assisted direct exfoliation of graphite to high concentration graphene dispersion

Abstract In the present work, high concentration graphene dispersion was prepared by sonication-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) using inexpensive and environment-friendly aqueous cellulose solution. The highly efficient exfoliation of starting graphite into graphene was achieved by the noncovalent affinity of cellulose towards graphene. The obtained aqueous graphene sheets exhibited remarkably high concentration of 8.54 mg mL-1 with fewer defects (ID/IG ∼ 0.53) and multi-layers structures, which promised a potential ideal candidate for applications in antistatic, corrosion protection, and electromagnetic compatibility.