NaBH4 assisted scalable graphene production: A bottom-up preparative strategy without external energy input

Abstract

As an interesting two-dimension nanomaterial, graphene has emerged as an attractive candidate for numerous applications, but its synthesis still suffers from the involvement of energy- and/or labor-intensive processes. It is thus highly desired to design and develop an effective strategy with earth-abundant raw materials via an energy conservation route. In this communication, we report a bottom-up strategy toward scalable production of graphene nanosheets directly from methanol and NaBH4 without external energy supply. The exothermic reaction leads to the production of graphene nanosheets with a 1.62 nm thickness, exhibits porous 3D framework feature and possesses large specific surface area (614.2 m2 g−1). The bulk production of graphene is achieved via such a facile strategy featuring non external energy input, together with environmental compatibility, which promises its industrial applications, like the treatment of heavy-metal-containing pollutants.