International Conference on Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Technological Developments (ICENSTED 2024) July 19-21, 2024 * glbhrblg@nevsehir.edu.tr 771 Production of Graphene by Electrochemical Exfoliation Method and Energy Applications Gulbahar Bilgic Tuzemen *1 1 Department of Metallurgy and Material Engineering, Faculty of Engineering-Architecture, Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University, Nevsehir 50300, Türkiye Abstract Graphene is made up of 2D layers of sp2 hybridized carbon atoms that resemble honeycombs. Due to its extraordinary mechanical, thermal, and optical abilities, graphene (a single layer of closely spaced carbon atoms organized in a honeycomb-shaped structure) appears to have a promising future. Despite the interesting material's benefits, high manufacturing costs and limited scalability have prevented its widespread use in everyday use. Sensors, batteries, hydrogen storage, and use as an electrode in a solar cell are just a few of the many potentials uses that make graphene a great candidate in the field of energy. Electrochemical exfoliation (EE) of graphite emerges as a valid alternative for large-scale graphene manufacturing, with its environmental friendliness, scalability, and solution processability. Here recent advances in EE in various electrolytes will be summarized. Followed by and the energy applications of exfoliated graphene materials will be highlighted. Keywords: Electrochemical exfoliation, Graphene, Energy applications 1 INTRODUCTION Graphene consists of 2D sp2 hybridized layers of carbon atoms that resemble honeycombs. The future of graphene, a single layer of closely spaced carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb-shaped structure, looks bright due to its outstanding mechanical, electrical, thermal and optical properties [1, 2]. Graphene is an excellent candidate for a variety of possible applications in the energy sector, including sensors, batteries, hydrogen storage, and use as an electrode in a solar cell [3]. Despite all the benefits of this innovative material, high production costs and limited scalability are the main obstacles to its commercialization. [1] Numerous methods, such as bottom-up synthesis from aromatic precursors, epitaxial growth, band isolation, liquid phase exfoliation, gaseous reagents and chemical vapor deposition, do not appear to be easily scalable due to their high price and complex procedures or low efficiency. Recently, wet chemical techniques such as reduction of graphene oxide (GO) and EE of graphite may provide good alternatives for large-scale graphene production. On the other hand, when strong oxidants are applied to graphite, GO is formed, which is highly oxidized and has a disordered structure. Chemical, thermal or electrochemical reduction procedures aimed at converting graphene into reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and restoring graphene's unique properties are unfortunately unstable and always result in some defects in the material. Moreover, with its environmental friendliness, scalability, and solution processability, EE of graphite appears to be a suitable alternative for large-scale graphene synthesis [1–4]. Compared to the Hummers process, EE graphene a graphene-like substance, requires a shorter manufacturing time and significantly less chemical waste. Alternatively, graphite powder can be directly exfoliated in the liquid phase utilizing an external driving force such as shear mixing or ultrasonication [3]. However, with several attempts to speed up the exfoliation process, such as the use of expanded graphite or graphite intercalation compounds, the yields of these methods are still low [4]. Over the past few years, EE of graphite has gained more and more interest as a potentially scalable technique. In general, structural expansion at a graphite electrode (GE) is driven by an electrical current through the use of an electrolyte (such as non-aqueous or an aqueous solution). Depending on the intercalated ions’ charge, the GE represents oxidation or reduction processes by acting as an anode or cathode [4]. Unlike other exfoliation techniques, this procedure works best without a lot of equipment and is usually carried out outside. Compared to other chemical/sonication methods, which frequently use dangerous chemicals or solvents, it is more environmentally friendly [4]. Most notably, EE processes, which depend on graphite precursors, operating voltages, and electrolytes, may produce gram-scale amounts of graphene at the testing proportions with adjustable quality in a matter of minutes to hours. Several graphite precursors, in DRAFT