Analysis of the Effect of Temperature and Time for Ultrasonication on Graphite Structure

Abstract

Graphite is a carbon allotrope with special bonding characteristics. These bonds can be altered given ultrasonic waves to be another form of bond or loosened. Changes in bonds will cause changes in bond characteristics to other forms of carbon allotropes. By varying ultrasonication process (time and temperature), the change in bonding or functional groups could be analyzed by changes in the structure of carbon. The ultrasonication process resulted in the bonding of oxygen atoms, produced bonding of C atoms with O, either as single or double bond. The new bond formed was linearly proportional to change in ultrasonication time and temperature. C bond with O caused carbon to change into allotrope of graphite oxide carbon, this was supported by the results of Raman spectroscopy characterization, where the defect of carbon was increased compared to carbon without ultrasonication. The intensity of the defect increased from 60 a.u to 265 a.u. Keywords— Graphite, Ultrasonication, Allotrope