A new approach to fabricate graphene nanosheets in organic medium: combination of reduction and dispersion

The direct dispersion of graphene nanosheets (GNS) in an organic medium, without assistance of dispersing agents, has been considered to be an insurmountable challenge. Herein we report a new approach to the fabrication of GNS by ethylenediamine (EDA) reduction in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). By this method, chemical reduction as well as dispersion of GNS can be carried out in one step. Characterization indicated that the bulk of oxygen-containing functional groups were removed from graphene oxide, and stable DMF colloidal suspensions containing homogeneously dispersed GNS were successfully obtained. Our findings make it possible to prepare graphene-based nanocomposites using a quick and low-cost solution processing technique.