# Graphene oxide: synthesis and characterization

> A six-panel figure on graphene oxide: the modified Hummers' route from graphite through graphite oxide and GO to reduced GO, the Lerf–Klinowski structural model with its oxygen groups, and representative XRD, Raman, FTIR and XPS C 1s spectra comparing graphite, GO and rGO.

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- Updated: 2026-10-14
- Category: Graphene synthesis
- Method: Modified Hummers' method, top-down
- Starting materials: Graphite flakes
- Product: Graphene oxide sheets (~1 nm thick) and reduced graphene oxide
- Key result: Interlayer spacing grows from 0.335 nm (graphite) to ≈ 0.8 nm (GO); I(D)/I(G) rises on oxidation and again on reduction
- Figure: 1600 × 1170 px, 1388 editable layers

## Steps

1. **Oxidation**: KMnO₄ in H₂SO₄/H₃PO₄ (9:1), 35–50 °C, 12 h; H₂O₂ quench
2. **Exfoliation**: Ultrasonication in water, centrifugation, dialysis
3. **Reduction**: Hydrazine hydrate or L-ascorbic acid, or thermal annealing

## Uses

- Characterization figures for GO and rGO papers
- Teaching the structure of graphene oxide

## References

1. Hummers & Offeman, “Preparation of graphitic oxide”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1958. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01539a017 (method origin)
2. Marcano et al., “Improved synthesis of graphene oxide”, ACS Nano 2010. https://doi.org/10.1021/nn1006368 (primary)
3. Lerf et al., “Structure of graphite oxide revisited”, J. Phys. Chem. B 1998. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp9731821 (further reading)

Credit: Spectra are representative illustrations built from typical literature peak positions, not measured data.

## Questions

**What does the “Graphene oxide: synthesis and characterization” template show?** A six-panel figure on graphene oxide: the modified Hummers' route from graphite through graphite oxide and GO to reduced GO, the Lerf–Klinowski structural model with its oxygen groups, and representative XRD, Raman, FTIR and XPS C 1s spectra comparing graphite, GO and rGO.

**What are the steps shown in “Graphene oxide: synthesis and characterization”?** 1. Oxidation: KMnO₄ in H₂SO₄/H₃PO₄ (9:1), 35–50 °C, 12 h; H₂O₂ quench. 2. Exfoliation: Ultrasonication in water, centrifugation, dialysis. 3. Reduction: Hydrazine hydrate or L-ascorbic acid, or thermal annealing.

**What are the starting materials and the product?** Starting materials: Graphite flakes. Product: Graphene oxide sheets (~1 nm thick) and reduced graphene oxide.

**Which papers is “Graphene oxide: synthesis and characterization” based on?** Hummers & Offeman, “Preparation of graphitic oxide”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1958 (doi:10.1021/ja01539a017); Marcano et al., “Improved synthesis of graphene oxide”, ACS Nano 2010 (doi:10.1021/nn1006368); Lerf et al., “Structure of graphite oxide revisited”, J. Phys. Chem. B 1998 (doi:10.1021/jp9731821).

**Can I edit the “Graphene oxide: synthesis and characterization” template?** Yes. Open it in the LabCanvas editor: all 1388 layers are editable. Change the text, colours and layout, then export PNG, TIFF, SVG or PDF.

**Do I need an account to use this template?** Not to view it here. To open and edit it, sign in to LabCanvas or create a free account (the free plan keeps one design of each kind). Downloading the figure is part of LabCanvas Pro (US$19 a month or US$199 a year).