Ultrafast Exfoliation of High-Quality γ-Graphyne Nanoflakes via Liquid Metal-Assisted Electrochemical Intercalation With Efficient Antibacterial Activity

γ-Graphyne (γ-GY) is a novel layered carbon allotrope featuring sp and sp 2 hybridized networks. Its 2D nanoflakes are predicted to possess extraordinary properties, including tunable optoelectronic characteristics, strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption, and superior biocompatibility, offering immense potential for photothermal antibacterial applications. Despite breakthroughs achieved in synthesizing bulk γ-GY crystals in recent years, the scalable exfoliation of them into high-quality nanoflakes remains a formidable challenge, hindering their broad applications. Herein, we developed a liquid metal-assisted electrochemical exfoliation (LME) strategy for the production of γ-GY nanoflakes (γ-GYNFs). Due to the “soft contact” between the liquid metal electrodes and the bulk precursors, the exfoliation efficiency was significantly improved while minimizing mechanical damage. Consequently, high-quality, large-sized γ-GYNFs were successfully produced for the first time through an ultrafast exfoliation process completed in just 3 min. Comprehensive characterizations confirmed the structural integrity of the exfoliated γ-GYNFs, with a large lateral dimension up to 2.2 µm and a uniform thickness of ∼4.3 nm. Significantly, the high-quality γ-GYNFs demonstrated a remarkable antibacterial efficiency of 99.34% against Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ), attributed to the synergistic effect of physical membrane disruption and exceptional photothermal conversion performance. This work not only provides an efficient pathway for the scalable production of γ-GYNFs, but also highlights their potential as effective antimicrobial agents.