Synthesis of Graphene Sheets with High Electrical Conductivity and Good Thermal Stability by Hydrogen Arc Discharge Exfoliation

We developed a hydrogen arc discharge exfoliation method for the synthesis of graphene sheets (GSs) with excellent electrical conductivity and good thermal stability from graphite oxide (GO), in combination with solution-phase dispersion and centrifugation techniques. It was found that efficient exfoliation and considerable deoxygenation of GO, and defect elimination and healing of exfoliated graphite can be simultaneously achieved during the hydrogen arc discharge exfoliation process. The GSs obtained by hydrogen arc discharge exfoliation exhibit a high electrical conductivity of similar to 2 x 10(3) S/cm and high thermal stability with oxidization resistance temperature of 601 degrees C, which are much better than those prepared by argon arc discharge exfoliation (similar to 2 x 10(2) S/cm, 525 degrees C) and by conventional thermal exfoliation (similar to 80 S/cm, 507 degrees C) with the same starting GO. These results demonstrate that this hydrogen arc discharge exfoliation method is a good approach for the preparation of GSs with a good quality.