Abstract
Processing and manipulation of highly conductive pristine graphene in large quantities are still major challenges in the practical application of graphene for electric device. In the present study, we report the liquid-phase exfoliation of graphite in toluene using well-defined poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) to produce a P3HT/graphene composite. We synthesize and use regioregular P3HT with controlled molecular weights as conductive dispersants for graphene. Simple ultrasonication of graphite flakes with the P3HT successfully produces single-layer and few-layer graphene sheets dispersed in toluene. The produced P3HT/graphene composite can be used as conductive graphene ink, indicating that the P3HT/graphene composite has high electrical conductivity owing to the high conductivity of P3HT and graphene. The P3HT/graphene composite also works as an oxidation-resistant and conductive film for a copper substrate, which is due to the high gas-barrier property of graphene.
Highlights
Of our knowledge, no report on the exfoliation of pristine graphite using P3HT to produce a stable dispersion of graphene
Regioregular P3HT with controlled molecular weights were synthesized according to our previous report (Fig. 2a)[25]
The size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) profiles reveal that the synthesized P3HT had Mn ranging from 6,000 to 75,000 with a very narrow distribution of molecular weights (Mw/Mn was from 1.04 to 1.21, Fig. 2c), which agrees with our previous reports[25,26,27]
Summary
Of our knowledge, no report on the exfoliation of pristine graphite using P3HT to produce a stable dispersion of graphene. Regioregularity of P3HT plays an important role in the electrical conductivity of P3HT18. Our group has already succeeded in the regiochemically-controlled synthesis of P3HT having controlled molecular weights[25,26,27]. We propose the exfoliation of pristine graphite in toluene using well-defined P3HT as a conductive dispersant to produce pristine graphene without loss of the electrical conductivity (Fig. 1). The present study demonstrates that the P3HT/graphene composite can be used as conductive ink and an oxidation-resistant film for a metal substrate
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