Fabrication of binderless electrodes via non-destructive electrochemical oxidation/reduction of graphite sheets using BF₄ salts

We report the electrochemical oxidation of graphite sheets using BF₄ salts, and direct electrochemical reduction of its product to prepare two-dimensional carbon materials efficiently. Electrochemical oxidation enables the synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) under milder conditions than those required for chemical oxidation, e.g., a strong oxidant in concentrated acid. In this work, graphite sheet was electrochemically oxidized with BF₄ salt electrolyte solution, and its product was electrochemically reduced in PBS. In the present method, the use of BF₄ salt allows the successful electrochemical synthesis of high-quality, uniform GO without the use of an acid. Furthermore, the non-destructive nature of the method provides a GO product that can be subjected to electrochemical reduction to form reduced GO. Thus, the method provides facile access to high-quality two-dimensional carbon materials in a manner that has the potential for mass production.