A versatile and simplified mechanochemical route for creating porous graphene-containing nanostructures from diverse graphite wastes

Abstract An ever-increasing demand for graphene and its derivatives in recent years has stimulated research toward developing simple, accessible, and effective methods for the fabrication of graphene-based materials. Mechanochemical exfoliation of graphite powder is one of the simplest and most cost-effective methods to obtain graphene-containing materials. However, the limited availability and price of commercial graphite hinder their large-scale production. Here we propose a simple and versatile mechanochemical method for exfoliation of various graphite-based wastes, i.e., graphite electrodes, graphite analytical crucibles, graphite brushes, and graphite from pencils, to produce graphene-based materials with high yield and specific surface areas up to ~ 530 m 2 /g. The as-prepared porous materials can serve as adsorbents for CO 2 , exhibiting a capacity of 1.9 mmol/g at 0 °C and 1 bar. This method provides an alternative for reusing graphite waste by converting it into porous materials that are attractive for diverse applications, including adsorption and catalysis. The proposed strategy increases the availability of graphene-containing materials and provides a solution for cost-effective and feasible graphite waste management. Graphical Abstract