Graphene oxide (GO) can be considered as one of the most visible outcomes of graphene research in terms of large scale production and commercialization prospects.

Interface confined reactions, which can modulate the bonding of reactants with catalytic centres and influence the rate of the mass transport from bulk solution, have emerged as a viable strategy for achieving highly stable and selective catalysis. Here we demonstrate that 1T′-enriched lithiated molybdenum disulfide is a highly powerful reducing agent, which can be exploited for the in-situ reduction of metal ions within the inner planes of lithiated molybdenum disulfide to form a zero valent metal-intercalated molybdenum disulfide. The confinement of platinum nanoparticles within the molybdenum disulfide layered structure leads to enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction activity and stability compared to catalysts dispersed on carbon support. In particular, the inner platinum surface is accessible to charged species like proton and metal ions, while blocking poisoning by larger sized pollutants or neutral molecules. This points a way forward for using bulk intercalated compounds for energy related applications.

It is difficult to achieve high efficiency production of hydrophobic graphene by liquid phase exfoliation due to its poor dispersibility and the tendency of graphene sheets to undergo π−π stacking. Here, we report a water-phase, non-dispersion exfoliation method to produce highly crystalline graphene flakes, which can be stored in the form of a concentrated slurry (50 mg mL⁻¹) or filter cake for months without the risk of re-stacking. The as-exfoliated graphene slurry can be directly used for 3D printing, as well as fabricating conductive graphene aerogels and graphene−polymer composites, thus avoiding the use of copious quantities of organic solvents and lowering the manufacturing cost. This non-dispersion strategy paves the way for the cost-effective and environmentally friendly production of graphene-based materials.

Spontaneous exfoliation of MoS₂ is achieved in H₂O₂–NMP mixed solvents with a yield of over 60 wt%, operated under mild conditions. H₂O₂-prompted sheet-tailoring effect induces a size evolution of MoS₂ nanosheets from micro-scale to nano-scale. Furthermore, the concurrent dissolution also affords an approach to introduce structural defects in the nanosheets.

Low-cost, scalable preparation of high-quality graphene has been a critical challenge that hampers its large-scale application. We here propose a novel, scalable liquidphase exfoliation method in which the intercalation, expansion, and exfoliation of graphite are achieved all under ambient conditions, not involving any heating or high-temperature treatment. We demonstrate that such room-temperature liquid-phase intercalation and expansion allow graphite flakes to expand up to 1000 times. Significantly different from thermally expanded graphite, the resulting chemically expanded graphite (CEG) exhibits a uniform, open, porous structure with a specific surface area (847 m²/g) comparable to the theoretical value of three-layer graphene. The CEG obtained is able to be exfoliated under mild conditions to give high-quality graphene with a yield of 70% relative to the starting graphite. The exfoliated graphene sheets have very few defects, with an atomic ratio of carbon to oxygen (C/O ratio) of 28. The as-prepared graphene exhibits an electrical conductivity of 1.17 × 10⁵ S/m and the corresponding transparent films also reveal superior optical and electrical performance.

The production of ultralarge graphene oxide (ULGO) is hindered by sluggish diffusion process of the oxidizing agents into graphite layers, as well as sheet fracture resulting from inhomogeneous oxidation. Previous methods rely on an excess amount of oxidants or multiple oxidation to overcome large diffusion resistance, but at the cost of ULGO yield and environmental risk. Here, we discover the chemical expansion of graphite (CEG) with high solvent-accessible surface areas can effectively boost mass diffusion and facilitate exhaustive oxidation at low oxidant dosage (2 wt equiv). The oxidizing reaction is therefore controlled by the chemical reactivity of graphite with oxidant rather than the diffusion of oxidant, which results in a ∼100% yield of ULGO nanosheets with an area-average size of 128 μm. The worm-like structure of CEG and its oxide provides a chance to recover excess sulfuric acid using a 100-mesh filter, where subsequent exfoliation to ULGO nanosheets is achieved by mild agitation or shaking in several minutes. The ULGO paper prepared by blade casting exhibits superior mechanical properties (Young’s modulus of 11.9 GPa and tensile strength of 110.8 MPa) and electrical conductivity (∼613 S/cm after HI reduction).