Sonicating graphite in a water/heptane mixture results in the exfoliated graphene sheets pinned at the interface between the two solvents. This interface also exists at the surface of hydrophilic materials such as glass when in a heptane atmosphere, resulting in the graphene climbing the walls of the vial. Transparent, conductive films of graphene can be produced by this method, with film thickness not more than four sheets thick.

Publications

From Graphene-like Sheet Stabilized Emulsions to Composite Polymer Foams: Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Wang, Z.; Liang, H.; Adamson, D. H.; Dobrynin, A. V.
Macromolecules 2018 51(18):7360-7367

Controlled 3D Assembly of Graphene Sheets to Build Conductive, Chemically Selective and Shape Responsive Materials
Woltornist, S. J.; Varghese, D.; Massucci, D.; Cao, Z.; Dobrynin, A. V.; Adamson, D. H.
Advanced Materials 2017 29:1604947

Thermal and Electrical Properties of Nanocomposites based on Self-Assembled Pristine Graphene
Bento, J. L.; Brown, E. B.; Woltornist, S. J.; Adamson, D. H.
Advanced Functional Materials 2017 27:1604277

Properites of Pristine Graphene Composites Arising from the Mechanism of Graphene-Stabilized Emulsion Formation
Woltornist, S. J.; Adamson, D. H.
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 2016 55:6777-6782

Polymer/Pristine Graphene Based Composites: From Emulsions to Strong,Electrically Conducting Foams
Woltornist, S. J.; Carrillo, J.-M.; Xu, T.; Dobrynin, A. V.; Adamson, D. H.
Macromolecules 2015 48(3):687-693

Preparation of Conductive Graphene/Graphite Infused Fabrics Using an Interfacial Trapping Method
Woltornist, S. J.; Alamer, F. A.; McDannald, A.; Jain, M.; Sotzing, G. A.; Adamson, D. H.
Carbon 2015 81:38-42