Graphite oxide (GO), formerly called graphitic oxide or graphitic acid, is a compound of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen in variable ratios, obtained by treating graphite with strong oxidizers and acids for resolving of extra metals. The maximally oxidized bulk product is a yellow solid with C:O ratio between 2.1 and 2.9, that retains the layer structure of graphite but with a much larger and irregular spacing.[2][3]
The bulk material spontaneously disperses in basic solutions or can be dispersed by sonication in polar solvents to yield monomolecular sheets, known as graphene oxide by analogy to graphene, the single-layer form of graphite.[4] Graphene oxide sheets have been used to prepare strong paper-like materials, membranes, thin films, and composite materials. Initially, graphene oxide attracted substantial interest as a possible intermediate for the manufacture of graphene. The graphene obtained by reduction of graphene oxide still has many chemical and structural defects which is a problem for some applications but an advantage for some others.[5][6]
^Dreyer, D. R.; Park, S.; Bielawski, C. W.; Ruoff, R. S. (2010). "The chemistry of graphene oxide". Chemical Society Reviews. 39 (1): 228–240. doi:10.1039/b917103g. PMID20023850. S2CID18364219.
^Structural, functional and magnetic ordering modifications in graphene oxide and graphite by 100 MeV gold ion irradiation, Vacuum, Volume 182, December 2020, 109700, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vacuum.2020.109700