Graphene is a true wonder material that promises much in a variety of applications that include electronic devices, supercapacitors, batteries, composites, flexible transparent displays and sensors. This review highlights the different methods available for the synthesis of graphene and discusses the viability and practicalities of using the materials produced via these methods for different graphene-based applications.

Harnessing the exceptional physical properties of graphene often requires its dispersion into aqueous or organic media. Dispersion must be achieved at a concentration and stability appropriate to the final application. However, the strong interaction between graphene sheets means it disperses poorly in all but a few high boiling organic solvents. This review presents an overview of graphene dispersion applications and a discussion of dispersion strategies: in particular the effect of shear, solvent and chemical modification on the dispersion of graphene (including graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide). These techniques are discussed in the context of manufacturing and commercialisation

Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) exhibit similar capillarity properties to those exhibited by multiple walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs); SWNTs, previously filled in low yield (ca. 2%) by solution chemistry techniques, can be filled in high yield (up to ca. 50%) by the liquid phase method; compositions from the KCl–UCl₄ and AgCl–AgBr systems were used to fill SWNTs without causing them significant chemical or thermal damage; in the case of the latter, exposure to light or an electron beam resulted in the partial photolytic reduction of SWNT incorporated silver halides to continuous metallic silver ‘nanowires’ within the capillaries.