Preparation of micron sized graphite using a spark plasma technique

Abstract

A simple spark plasma technique is applied to prepare micron sized graphite from natural graphite in water. The as-prepared micron sized graphite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which corroborated a successful oxidation of the natural graphite with abundant oxygen-containing functional groups, such as hydroxyl, epoxide and carboxyl groups, in high quality.