Graphene prepared by using edge functionalization of graphite

1. A method for production of an edge-functionalized graphene comprising:

providing graphite;

reacting organic material having one or more functional groups with the graphite in a reaction medium comprising methanesulfonic acid and phosphorus pentoxide, or in a reaction medium comprising trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, thus to substitute force of edge positions between graphene sheets with covalent bonds between graphene and organic material,

wherein the one or more functional groups include one or more selected from a group consisting of carboxylic acid group, amide group, sulfonic acid group, carbonyl chloride group and carbonyl bromide group, and

wherein the organic material covalently attached to graphene acts as a wedge, and thereby exfoliating graphene functionalized at its edge positions.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction medium comprising methanesulfonic acid and phosphorus pentoxide includes about 65 wt % to about 95 wt % of methanesulfonic acid and about 5 wt % to about 35 wt % of phosphorus pentoxide, based on the total weight of the reaction medium.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a remaining portion of the organic material except the one or more functional groups includes C 1 -C 5 alkyl group, C 2 -C 5 alkenyl group, C 2 -C 5 alkynyl group, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl group, C 6 -C 15 aryl group, or C 6 -C 15 aralkyl group, and the alkyl group, the alkenyl group, the alkynyl group, the cycloalkyl group, the aryl group, or the aralkyl group is unsubstituted, or substituted, wherein the substituent is selected from the group consisting of halo, nitro, amino, cyano, mercapto, hydroxyl, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, formyl, C 1 -C 4 alkylcarbonyl, phenyl, benzoyl, phenoxy and the combination thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the organic material is benzoic acid which is unsubstituted or substituted, wherein the substituent is selected from the group consisting of halo, nitro, amino, cyano, mercapto, hydroxyl, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, formyl, C 1 -C 4 alkylcarbonyl, phenyl, benzoyl, phenoxy and the combination thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the organic material is any one selected from the group consisting of 3-aminobenzoic acid, 4-aminobenzoic acid, 4-(4-aminophenyl)benzoic acid, 4-(3-aminophenyl)benzoic acid, 5-aminoisophthalic acid, 4-(4-aminophenoxy)benzoic acid, 4-(3-aminophenoxy)benzoic acid, 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid, 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid, 2-phenoxybenzoic acid, 3-phenoxybenzoic acid, 4-phenoxybenzoic acid, 3,5-diphenoxybenzoic acid, 5-phenoxyisophthalic acid, 4-phenyl-(4-phenoxy benzoic acid), 4-phenoxy-(4-phenylbenzoic acid), 4-ethylbenzoic acid, 2-ethylbenzoic acid and 4-ethylphenoxybenzoic acid.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

dispersing graphene functionalized at its edge positions in solvent, and

centrifugally separating the graphene from graphite.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:

reducing graphene functionalized at its edge positions in air or an inert atmosphere,

and removing organic material which functionalized at edges of graphene.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the reduction is a heat treatment.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the heat treatment is performed at a temperature of about 300° C. to about 1,200° C. for about 30 minutes to about 24 hours.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein graphene obtained after removing the organic material has a purity that is about 90% to about 99%.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein graphene obtained after removing the organic material comprises one layer or a plurality of layers and has a thickness that is about 0.3 nm to about 1000 nm.