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Soluble Graphene Nanosheets from Recycled Graphite of Spent Lithium Ion Batteries

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Abstract

Soluble graphene nanosheets are fabricated from recycled graphite of spent lithium ion batteries through a modified Hammers process followed by deoxygenation with NaOH–KOH eutectic. Ultrasonic exfoliation in N-methyl-pyrrolidone indicates the loosened graphene layers in recycled graphite are prone to exfoliation. Reduction of the exfoliated graphene oxide sheets was conducted in molten NaOH–KOH eutectic at different temperatures. The results show that molten NaOH–KOH effectively eliminates the unsaturated oxygen-containing moieties from the exfoliated graphene oxide sheets while creating more hydroxyl functional groups. Higher temperature treatment is more prone to remove hydroxyls while producing the shrinkage on the surface of graphene sheets. Graphene sheet with a good solubility is produced when the graphene oxide is heat-treated at 220 °C for 10 h. After reduction, the graphene oxide sheets exhibit excellent dispersibility or solubility in water, ethanol and other polar solvents, therefore being highly desirable for solution processing of graphene materials. Such study not only identifies a high-quality stockpile to prepare soluble graphene but also paves a feasible alternative of graphite recycling from spent lithium batteries.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Haiquan Road 100, Shanghai, 201418, People’s Republic of China

    Liangliang Zhao, Xiya Liu, Chuanyun Wan & Fanhong Wu

  2. Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

    Xiangrong Ye

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  1. Liangliang Zhao
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  2. Xiya Liu
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  3. Chuanyun Wan
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  4. Xiangrong Ye
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Correspondence to Chuanyun Wan or Xiangrong Ye.

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Zhao, L., Liu, X., Wan, C. et al. Soluble Graphene Nanosheets from Recycled Graphite of Spent Lithium Ion Batteries. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 27, 875–880 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-018-3156-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-018-3156-6

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