Exfoliation of Graphite in Carbon Arc Discharge

Abstract

Herein a method for the synthesis of exfoliated graphite is presented. The method is based on the carbon arc discharge between two graphite electrodes under an inert gas atmosphere (He and He-N2). The process yields two types of products, i.e. the deposit from the cathode, rich in exfoliated graphite and soot, which contains various nanosized carbon particles. The products were investigated by thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The presented method is a novel approach to the exfoliation of graphite and is characterized by high efficiency and simplicity.