Graphite Oxide: A Simple and Reproducible Synthesis Route

Abstract

The synthesis of graphite oxide (GrO) by oxidation of graphite has been carried out by different procedures. In this chapter, we describe a simple synthesis route based on Hummers’ method without the usage of NaNO 3 achieving nearly the same outcomes, and this methodology is directed toward high-quality scale production of GrO with similar properties compared with GrO obtained with traditional and improved Hummers’ methods. The GrO was obtained in a series of batch reactions and characterized by different techniques, and the results showed identical interlayer d-space , type and content of oxygen functionalities, and I D /I G ratio. The high reproducibility of this methodology offers an efficient alternative for the large-scale production of graphene oxide.