# Characterizing graphene oxide

> Six measurements of graphene oxide and reduced GO in one figure: the XPS C 1s components, FTIR bands of the oxygen groups, ¹³C solid-state NMR, the XRD interlayer spacing, the Raman D and G bands and carbon K-edge NEXAFS, each computed from reported values.

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- Updated: 2026-10-14
- Category: Graphene research
- Method: GO characterization
- Starting materials: Graphite, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide
- Product: Oxygen groups, sp² fraction, interlayer spacing and disorder
- Key result: Spectra and patterns computed by LabCanvas from the reported positions, spacings and fractions; peak heights and widths that the papers do not give are drawn, not measured
- Figure: 1920 × 1080 px, 45 editable layers (6 generated objects with settings)

## Steps

1. **XPS C 1s**: The C 1s envelope of GO fitted with components on a Shirley background, from reported binding energies (Muzyka et al. 2018; Benzait et al. 2021; Shirley 1972)
2. **FTIR**: Bands of the oxygen groups of GO, and of rGO after reduction, from reported positions (Zainab et al. 2023; Muzyka et al. 2018)
3. **¹³C solid-state NMR**: Epoxide 61, C–OH 70, lactol 101, sp² C=C 134, O–C=O 164 and C=O 190 ppm, sp² carbon 24 % of the area; after reduction by SnCl₂ at room temperature 75 % sp² (Brisebois et al. 2020)
4. **XRD**: Bragg peaks from interlayer spacings of 3.37 Å for graphite and 8.85 Å for GO (Zainab et al. 2023) and 3.43 Å for thermally reduced GO (Muzyka et al. 2018), with Scherrer widths
5. **Raman**: GO: maxima at 1348 cm⁻¹ (D) and 1589 cm⁻¹ (G), I(D)/I(G) = 1.04 (Islam et al. 2024)
6. **NEXAFS**: Carbon K-edge NEXAFS of GO and of GO reduced in vacuum at 200 °C at the resonance energies Singh et al. (2022) tabulate

## Strengths

- XPS and NMR quantify the oxygen groups
- XRD shows the spacing open and close again on reduction
- Six routine measurements, each reproducible

## Limitations

- Values differ with the oxidation and reduction route
- How the oxygenated NMR area divides between peaks is drawn, not reported

## Uses

- Checking GO and rGO batches
- Following a reduction
- Comparing oxidation routes

## References

1. Muzyka et al., “Characterization of graphite oxide and reduced graphene oxide obtained from different graphite precursors and oxidized by different methods using Raman spectroscopy”, Materials 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11071050 (primary)
2. Zainab et al., “Optimization of bandgap reduction in 2-dimensional GO nanosheets and nanocomposites of GO/iron-oxide for electronic device applications”, Sci. Rep. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33200-4 (primary)
3. Brisebois, Izquierdo & Siaj, “Room-temperature reduction of graphene oxide in water by metal chloride hydrates: a cleaner approach for the preparation of graphene@metal hybrids”, Nanomaterials 2020. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10071255 (primary)
4. Singh et al., “Property modulation of graphene oxide incorporated with TiO₂ for dye-sensitized solar cells”, ACS Omega 2022. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c05637 (primary)
5. Benzait et al., “Enhanced synthesis method of graphene oxide”, Nanoscale Adv. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0na00706d (further reading)
6. Eissa et al., “Probing the influence of graphene oxide sheets size on the performance of label-free electrochemical biosensors”, Sci. Rep. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-70384-5 (further reading)
7. Shirley, “High-resolution X-ray photoemission spectrum of the valence bands of gold”, Phys. Rev. B 1972. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.5.4709 (further reading)
8. Islam et al., “Green coffee bean extract assisted facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide and its dye removal activity”, Glob. Chall. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202300247 (further reading)

Credit: Computed by LabCanvas after Muzyka et al., Materials 2018, Zainab et al., Sci. Rep. 2023, Brisebois et al., Nanomaterials 2020, Singh et al., ACS Omega 2022, and the papers in the details.

## Questions

**What does the “Characterizing graphene oxide” template show?** Six measurements of graphene oxide and reduced GO in one figure: the XPS C 1s components, FTIR bands of the oxygen groups, ¹³C solid-state NMR, the XRD interlayer spacing, the Raman D and G bands and carbon K-edge NEXAFS, each computed from reported values.

**What are the steps shown in “Characterizing graphene oxide”?** 1. XPS C 1s: The C 1s envelope of GO fitted with components on a Shirley background, from reported binding energies (Muzyka et al. 2018; Benzait et al. 2021; Shirley 1972). 2. FTIR: Bands of the oxygen groups of GO, and of rGO after reduction, from reported positions (Zainab et al. 2023; Muzyka et al. 2018). 3. ¹³C solid-state NMR: Epoxide 61, C–OH 70, lactol 101, sp² C=C 134, O–C=O 164 and C=O 190 ppm, sp² carbon 24 % of the area; after reduction by SnCl₂ at room temperature 75 % sp² (Brisebois et al. 2020). 4. XRD: Bragg peaks from interlayer spacings of 3.37 Å for graphite and 8.85 Å for GO (Zainab et al. 2023) and 3.43 Å for thermally reduced GO (Muzyka et al. 2018), with Scherrer widths. 5. Raman: GO: maxima at 1348 cm⁻¹ (D) and 1589 cm⁻¹ (G), I(D)/I(G) = 1.04 (Islam et al. 2024). 6. NEXAFS: Carbon K-edge NEXAFS of GO and of GO reduced in vacuum at 200 °C at the resonance energies Singh et al. (2022) tabulate.

**What are the starting materials and the product?** Starting materials: Graphite, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide. Product: Oxygen groups, sp² fraction, interlayer spacing and disorder.

**Which papers is “Characterizing graphene oxide” based on?** Muzyka et al., “Characterization of graphite oxide and reduced graphene oxide obtained from different graphite precursors and oxidized by different methods using Raman spectroscopy”, Materials 2018 (doi:10.3390/ma11071050); Zainab et al., “Optimization of bandgap reduction in 2-dimensional GO nanosheets and nanocomposites of GO/iron-oxide for electronic device applications”, Sci. Rep. 2023 (doi:10.1038/s41598-023-33200-4); Brisebois, Izquierdo & Siaj, “Room-temperature reduction of graphene oxide in water by metal chloride hydrates: a cleaner approach for the preparation of graphene@metal hybrids”, Nanomaterials 2020 (doi:10.3390/nano10071255); Singh et al., “Property modulation of graphene oxide incorporated with TiO₂ for dye-sensitized solar cells”, ACS Omega 2022 (doi:10.1021/acsomega.2c05637); Benzait et al., “Enhanced synthesis method of graphene oxide”, Nanoscale Adv. 2021 (doi:10.1039/d0na00706d); Eissa et al., “Probing the influence of graphene oxide sheets size on the performance of label-free electrochemical biosensors”, Sci. Rep. 2020 (doi:10.1038/s41598-020-70384-5); Shirley, “High-resolution X-ray photoemission spectrum of the valence bands of gold”, Phys. Rev. B 1972 (doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.5.4709); Islam et al., “Green coffee bean extract assisted facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide and its dye removal activity”, Glob. Chall. 2024 (doi:10.1002/gch2.202300247).

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