Synthesis of phase transferable graphene sheets using ionic liquid polymers.

A practical route to the production of solution phase transferable graphene sheets using ionic liquid polymers (PIL) as a transferring medium is developed. Chemically converted graphene sheets decorated with PIL were found to be stable against the chemical reduction and well dispersed in the aqueous phase without any agglomeration. Upon the anion exchange of the PIL on graphene sheets, these PIL-modified graphene sheets in aqueous phase are readily transferred into the organic phase by changing their properties from hydrophilic to hydrophobic.