7,7,8,8-Tetracyanoquinodimethane-assisted one-step electrochemical exfoliation of graphite and its performance as an electrode material.

A green approach for the preparation of water-dispersible functionalized graphene via one-step electrochemical exfoliation of graphite using 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) anions as surface modifiers and electrolytes was described. TCNQ is an organic charge-transfer complex with electron accepting and noteworthy electrical properties. The exfoliation of graphite to a few-layer graphene sheets was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) image analysis.