Patent ID: 8858776

Claim:
A method of preparing graphene sheets, the method comprising: immersing, in a solution containing an electrolyte, a portion of a first electrode and a portion of a second electrode, the immersed portion of the first electrode including a first graphite-containing material and the immersed portion of the second electrode including a second graphite-containing material or a metal; causing an alternating potential to exist between the first and second electrodes; and recovering, from the solution, graphene sheets exfoliated from the first and/or second graphite-containing material(s), wherein the electrolyte is an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkylsulfonate, sodium alkane sulfonate, sodium benzenesulfonate, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, potassium lauryl sulfate, sodium myreth sulfate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium pareth sulfate, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, sodium palmate, sodium stearate, and sodium tallowate.