Abstract
The unique properties of graphene oxide (GO) have attracted the attention of the research community and cost-effective routes for its production are studied. The type and percentage of the oxygen groups that decorate a GO sheet are dependent on the synthesis path, and this path specifies the carbon content of the sheet. The chemical reduction of GO results in reduced graphene oxide (rGO) while the removal of the oxygen groups is also achievable with thermal processes (tpGO). This review article introduces the reader to the carbon allotropes, provides information about graphene which is the backbone of GO and focuses on GO synthesis and properties. The last part covers some characterization techniques of GO (XRD, FTIR, AFM, SEM-EDS, N2 porosimetry and UV-Vis) with a view to the fundamental principles of each technique. Some critical aspects arise for GO synthesized and characterized from our group.
Highlights
The abundance in functional groups is priceless in sorption and reinforcing applications; a less decorated graphene oxide (GO) is useful in capacitors and filtration applications, while a highly reduced
A major advantage in GO synthesis is the low cost of the reactants and its availability for mass production
GO is metastable so care should be taken during the characterization
Summary
Carbon is a chemical element with chemical symbol C, atomic number 6 and atomic weight 12.011 u. It is located in group IV A in the periodic table of elements and belongs to nonmetal. Carbon is one of the few elements found since ancient times. Allotrope refers to a simple substance composed of the same chemical element but with different structure and morphology. There are several allotropic forms of carbon, the most common of which are graphite, diamond and amorphous carbon. There are great differences in physical properties, including appearance, hardness, conductivity and so on. Diamonds, fullerenes, graphites, quantum dots, nanohorns and nanotubes are all carbon allotropes. Graphene is considered the archetypal structure of all carbon nanoforms. Thermodynamically unstable carbon that is classified as anthracite (90% carbon), lignite (60–70% carbon) and peat (50% carbon)
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