Sachharomyces cerevisae dry powder mediated exfoliation of graphite chunks into functionalized few-layer graphene

Owing to the active production of metabolites during reproduction and growth, microbial cells are incessantly explored for their potential in the fabrication and functionalization of inorganic materials. Yeast cells, non-pathogenic microbes, exhibit biotransformation reactions and the potential to modify the functional groups when grown in fermentative conditions. Here, we attempted to delayer graphite chunks into graphene flakes by incubating with dry Sachharomyces cerevisae powder. The evident delamination/thinning of graphene layers was demonstrated using microscopic and spectroscopic analysis which confirmed the exfoliation of graphite to few-layer graphene (FLG). The gate-to-gate life cycle assessment, LCA, of the developed process established the sustainability and environmental hots spots for the approach. Our study demonstrates the facile, green and sustainable exfoliation of graphite using off-the-shelf materials in laboratories or kitchens and can be scaled up to industry levels. Yeast cells were also explored for the exfoliation of other 2D material, MoS₂, and showed the potential to flake off the bulk structure into few MoS₂ sheets.