Structural and Microstructural Investigation of Graphene Synthesized by Mechanical Milling in NMP

Graphene, as the first presented two-dimensional material, is undergoing a growing trend in various industries. In this study, some effective parameters on the structural and microstructural properties of graphene synthesized by wet milling, in the presence of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent were investigated. These variable parameters consist of the amount of graphite, solids to solvent ratio, weight ratio of pellets to solids, and the time of milling. The results of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis showed that the optimal parameters are 25 for the weight of pellets to graphite, concentration of 20 g/ml of graphite in NMP, and milling time of 6 hours. However, the application of a mixture of melamine and urea was evaluated for the exfoliation and functionalization of graphene by the planetary mill, according to the results, this mixture, showed a promising result as a promising composition for the simultaneous exfoliation and functionalization of graphene.