Synthesis of graphene oxide with superhydrophilicity and well-defined sheet size distribution

Abstract

AbstractGraphene oxide exhibits many unique physicochemical properties and has been investigated widely in many areas. For the present contribution, graphene oxide, using flake graphite as a graphite precursor has been prepared by means of the modified Hummers method. By adjusting the oxidation processes, different graphene oxide products have been obtained. By characterizing the structure and performance of these graphene oxide products, it was discovered that graphene oxide prepared with a greater oxidant content and over a longer reaction time has a well-defined sheet size distribution and exhibits superhydrophilicity. The present work provides a simple method to control the sheet size distribution and the hydrophilicity of graphene oxide by simply adjusting the oxidation process.