One-pot sonochemical preparation of fluorographene and selective tuning of its fluorine coverage

Abstract

Fluorographene (FG), which inherits the properties of graphene and fluorographite (FGi), holds great promise for applications in high-performance materials and devices, including lubricants, nanocomposites, batteries, and nanoelectronics. However, challenges for realizing large-scale preparation and little knowledge concerning FG's physicochemical properties hinder its practical applications. Here, a novel and feasible method is developed to prepare FG through a simple sonochemical exfoliation process in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). Interestingly, FG at a high concentration in NMP displays dramatic stability without any additional stabilizer or modifier, and the C/F ratio of FG can be facilely tuned just by adjusting the sonochemical time. Furthermore, the electrochemical and thermal properties of the prepared FG have been systematically investigated and exhibited regularity with variation of fluorine coverage. On the other hand, based on the solubility of FG in various solvents, a possible dispersion mechanism is proposed to guide FG's further applications in films or polymer-based composites as a mechanical reinforcement.