Amino-acid-based milling produces conductive graphene with low waste

The article discusses a novel, environmentally friendly method for producing conductive graphene using amino-acid-based mechanochemical milling. Graphene’s exceptional electrical conductivity and strength have been difficult to harness outside laboratories due to its tendency to clump and poor dispersibility in liquids or plastics. Traditional methods to improve dispersion often damage graphene’s conductive properties or require toxic chemicals, extreme heat, or high energy inputs. The new approach, developed by researchers at Monash University, uses a planetary ball mill to grind graphite flakes with potassium hydroxide and glycine (a simple amino acid) at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. This process simultaneously exfoliates graphite into graphene sheets and incorporates nitrogen atoms, enhancing dispersibility without severely compromising conductivity. This mechanochemical method achieves an unusually high yield of about 80% and introduces around 2.3% nitrogen, including graphitic nitrogen that helps maintain electrical conductivity. The resulting nitrogen-doped graphene exhibits a conductivity of 1170 S/m, significantly higher than milled graphite without doping (