Structure of Graphite Nanosheets Formed by Plasma Discharge in Liquid Ethanol

Graphite nanosheets (GNSs) were synthesized by low-current plasma discharge in ultrasonically cavitated liquid ethanol. Effective elimination of the byproducts was confirmed by different techniques. The results indicated that there were two types of ordering along the crystallographic caxis in the GNSs, which were ABAB- and turbostratic stacking of successive graphene layers. Most of the GNSs were estimated to be between 8.8 and 30 nm thick, and their lateral sizes ranged from several hundred nanometers up to 11 μm with an average size of 4–5 μm. A simple mechanism for GNS formation by exfoliation of graphene layers covering the Fe–Pt alloy nanoparticles is proposed. The measured conductivity of GNSs was comparable to that of the reference graphene nanopowder and reference single graphene sheets.