Solvothermal-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation of graphite in a mixed solvent of toluene and oleylamine

We report an effective method for producing graphene sheets using solvothermal-assisted exfoliation of graphite in a mixed solvent of toluene and oleylamine. The mixed solvent of toluene and oleylamine produces higher yield of graphene than its constituents, oleylamine and toluene. The oleylamine molecules with its long chain enwrap the graphene sheets efficiently, while toluene helps the oleylamine molecules become more flexible and easily intercalate into the edge of graphite. The prepared graphene sheets have a high quality, and the concentration of graphene in the dispersion is as high as 0.128 mg mL(−1). The high-quality graphene sheets obtained in this work make them suitable for application in many fields such as energy-storage materials and polymer composites.