Scalable, printable, surfactant-free graphene ink directly from graphite

Abstract

In this manuscript, we develop printable graphene ink through a solvent-exchange method. Printable graphene ink in ethanol and water free of any surfactant is dependent on matching the surface tension of the cross-solvent with the graphene surface energy. Percolative transport behavior is observed for films made of this printable ink. Optical conductivity is then calculated based on sheet resistance, optical transmittance, and thickness. Upon analyzing the ratio of dc/optical conductivity versus flake size/layer number, we report that our dc/optical conductivity is among the highest of films based on direct deposited graphene ink. This is the first demonstration of scalable, printable, surfactant-free graphene ink derived directly from graphite.