Electrochemical exfoliation of graphite to produce graphene flakes is receiving increased attention worldwide due to the simplicity and efficiency of the method. This study examines the effects of different exfoliation mediums, such as nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and potassium hydroxide, on the characteristics of electrochemically exfoliated graphene flakes (EEGFs) and their performance in supercapacitor applications. The study demonstrates that the choice of exfoliation medium significantly impacts the electrochemical characteristics and energy storage capabilities of the resultant graphene flakes. Graphene exfoliated in hydrochloric acid exhibits superior performance, which is attributed to an optimal balance of high conductivity, low defect density, and accessible surface area. Nitric acid-exfoliated graphene, despite being defect rich, offers competitive performance due to increased active sites and enhanced ion accessibility. In contrast, graphene flakes exfoliated in potassium hydroxide present the lowest electrochemical performance and the highest defect density. These findings provide valuable insights into tailoring the properties of electrochemically exfoliated graphene for high-performance energy storage devices.

Exploring the role of exfoliation mediums on electrochemically derived graphene for enhanced supercapacitor performance
    Abstract
    1 Introduction
    2 Experimental
        2.1 Preparation of EEGFs
        2.2 Device fabrication
    3 Results and discussion
        3.1 Electrochemical nature of EEGFs
        3.2 Electrochemical performance and structure of EEGFs
            3.2.1 The role of exfoliation
            3.2.2 The defect advantage (in HNO3 case)
            3.2.3 The balancing act
    4 Conclusions
    Acknowledgements 
    References

• Ravi Ranjan Pandey(Department of Chemistry, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, East‑Champaran, Motihari, Bihar 845401, India)
• Anshu Andola(Department of Chemistry, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, East‑Champaran, Motihari, Bihar 845401, India)
• Rakesh K. Pandey(Department of Chemistry, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, East‑Champaran, Motihari, Bihar 845401, India) Corresponding author
• Himani Pandey(Department of Biotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, East‑Champaran, Motihari, Bihar 845401, India)