In Situ synthesis of SiC-graphene core-shell nanoparticles using wet ball milling

Abstract A wet ball milling route was used to synthesise SiC-graphene core-shell nanoparticles in situ from graphite and SiC nanoparticles. Graphite flakes were gradually exfoliated into fresh graphene nanosheets (GNSs) without significant defects, which is attributed to mechanical shearing and moderate impaction forces between graphite flakes, milling balls and SiC nanoparticles during the wet milling. The non-destructive exfoliation is characterised by Raman, Fourier transform infrared and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopies. The freshly produced GNSs are energetically unstable and thin enough to be flexible and this drives the in situ attaching and scrolling of GNSs on the SiC nanoparticles. The SiC nanoparticles and GNSs are well dispersed in the wet medium and the SiC nanoparticles are individually wrapped. It has been estimated that > 50% of the produced GNSs are wrapped around the SiC nanoparticles and these GNSs are generally ≤ 6 layers.