High-concentration aqueous dispersions of graphene produced by exfoliation of graphite using cellulose nanocrystals

Abstract

Stable high-concentration aqueous dispersions (>1 mg ml−1) of single and few-layer graphene flakes were produced by direct exfoliation of graphite using cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). Biodegradable and widely available from renewable sources, CNC have proven to be very efficient graphene stabilizers even at low concentrations (0.2 mg ml−1), thus enabling remarkably high graphene/CNC ratios (up to 3.8).