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We describe the production of graphene-based composites for energy storage, obtained by a combination of electrochemical and solution processing techniques. Electrochemically exfoliated graphene oxide sheets (EGO) are produced using an original setup that allows fast expansion of graphite flakes and efficient exfoliation of expanded graphite via an electrochemical route. The sheets are deposited on a sacrificial nickel foam together with an iron hydroxide colloidal precursor. Calcination treatment simultaneously renders the EGO foam conductive and transforms Fe(OH) 3 into hematite ( α -Fe 2 O 3 ), yielding a nanoporous Fe 2 O 3 layer on the surface of the mesoporous EGO foam, creating an ideal structure for lithium storage. The obtained graphene/metal oxide hybrid is a continuous, electrically conductive three-dimensional (3D) composite featuring a hierarchical meso–nano porous structure. A systematic study of these composites, varying the Fe 2 O 3 :EGO ratio, is then performed to maximize their performance as nanostructured electrodes in standard coin cell batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The different exfoliation routes of graphite to produce graphene by sonication in solvent, chemical oxidation and electrochemical oxidation are compared. The exfoliation process and roughening of a flat graphite substrate is directly visualized at the nanoscale by scanning probe and electron microscopy. The etching damage in graphite and the properties of the exfoliated sheets are compared by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The results show the trade-off between exfoliation speed and preservation of graphene quality. A key step to achieve efficient exfoliation is to couple gas production and mechanical exfoliation on a macroscale with non-covalent exfoliation and preservation of graphene properties on a molecular scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graphite ‘flower’ is produced by V. Palermo and co‐workers in order to study the production and exfoliation mechanism of soluble of graphene and graphene oxide nanosheets due to chemical etching, electrochemical treatment, or sonication in organic solvents of bulk graphite. In the background of the back cover image, the same material is visualized by electron microscopy. The exfoliation process and roughening of the flat graphite substrate upon exfoliation is directly visualized at the nanoscale on page 4684. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A main advantage of graphene oxide (GO) over other materials is the high tunability of its surface functional groups and of its electric conductivity. However, the complex chemical composition of GO renders difficult to unravel the correlation between structural and electric properties. Here, we use a combination of electron spectroscopy and electrochemistry to correlate the surface chemistry of GO to its electrical conductivity and electrocatalytic properties with respect to two molecules of high biological interest: β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and vitamin C. We demonstrate that the electrocatalytic properties of the material are due to hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxyl groups residues that, even if already present on pristine GO, become electroactive only upon GO reduction. The results of this study demonstrate the advantages in the use of GO in amperometric biosensing and in enzymatic biofuel cells: it allows the oxidation of the target molecules at low potential values, with a sensitivity >15 times higher with respect to standard, carbon-based electrode materials. Finally, we demonstrate that the right amount of chemical groups to achieve such high performance can be obtained also by direct electrochemical exfoliation of bulk graphite, without passing through GO production, thus rendering this approach suitable for cheap, large-scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]