Electrochemical preparation of exfoliated graphite composites from a ferric chloride-graphite intercalation compound

• Graphite-FeCl 3 is exfoliated by electrochemical reduction in aqueous KOH. • The exfoliated graphite protectively encapsulates KCl and Fe particles. • The reaction mechanism is discussed based on the Nernst equation. Exfoliated graphite-based composites have attracted attention across various fields, such as fuel cells and sensors. Herein, we present a facile method to prepare exfoliated graphite composites containing metal compounds. A FeCl 3 -graphite intercalation compound is first synthesized from raw graphite powder and then exfoliated by electrochemical reduction in aqueous KOH solutions. Structural analysis reveals that the exfoliated graphite comprises carbon layers that encapsulate KCl and Fe particles. Furthermore, we discuss the reaction mechanism based on the relation between the KOH concentration and the electrochemical potential.