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Abstract This study reports the superior performance of graphene nanosheet (GNS) materials over Vulcan XC incorporated as a cathode catalyst in Li–O2 battery. The GNSs employed were synthesized from a novel, eco-friendly, and cost-effective technique involving chamber detonation of oxygen (O2) and acetylene (C2H2) precursors. Two GNS catalysts i.e., GNS-1 and GNS-2 fabricated with 0.3 and 0.5 O2/C2H2 precursor molar ratios, respectively, were utilized in this study. Specific surface area (SSA) analysis revealed significantly higher SSA and total pore volume for GNS-1 (180 m2 g−1, 0.505 cm3 g−1) as compared with GNS-2 (19 m2 g−1, 0.041 cm3 g−1). GNS-1 exhibited the highest discharge capacity (4.37 Ah g-1) and superior cycling stability compared with GNS-2 and Vulcan XC. Moreover, GNS-1 demonstrated promising performance at higher current densities (0.2 and 0.3 mA cm−2) and with various organic electrolytes. The superior performance of GNS-1 can be ascribed to its higher mesopore volume, SSA, and optimum wettability compared to its counterparts.