Chemical exfoliation is a top-down approach to obtain graphene in dispersion from graphite. Carbon Waters has mastered this method. This production route takes advantage of the fact that potassium intercalation compounds dissolve spontaneously in polar solvents.
Chemical exfoliation leads to a solution of charged graphene flakes, barely stable under inert conditions. This major drawback was recently solved by a CNRS team thanks to a simple, but beautiful, transfer into water under specific conditions.
The resulting aqueous dispersion of graphene is extremely stable without the need for surfactants or organic solvents. Furthermore, chemical exfoliation is highly efficient.
This aqueous graphene dispersion combines the advantages of the various families of graphene materials: high quality of graphene with
the versatility of a dispersion.
This key innovation in the field of graphene production via exfoliation opens up possibilities for the use of graphene in industrial applications, such as additives for paints or composites.
Carbon Waters’ ongoing achievement is to transpose this process to an industrial scale.
