Chemical Fabrication and Electrochemical Characterization of Graphene Nanosheets Using a Lithium Battery Platform

Abstract

Graphene has opened up new opportunities for scientific and technological innovations because of its astonishing electrical, mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties. For instance, graphene-based nanocomposites have found extensive applications in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) as scientists and engineers seek to achieve superior electrochemical performances. The laboratory module reported herein includes both chemical fabrication and electrochemical characterizations of graphene nanosheets (GNSs). The GNS powders are fabricated through the chemical exfoliation of graphite, and the resulting morphological and structural changes are evaluated by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Li storage electrochemical characteristics of GNSs are then assessed via galvanostatic chronopotentiometry and compared with that of graphite, a commonly used anode material in LIBs. This novel laboratory module, suitable for a wide range of students with a general chemistry background, has been successfully implemented in a multidisciplinary laboratory and lecture course entitled Experimental Nanomaterials and Nanoscience. Because the laboratory connects chemistry and materials engineering to a real-world application, it raises students’ interest in and awareness of nanomaterials’ contribution to the renewable and clean energy field.