Effect of Particle Size of Natural Flake Graphite on the Size and Structure of Graphene Oxide Prepared by the Modified Hummers Method

The effect of particle size of natural graphite on the size and structure of graphene oxide (GO) was investigated by using natural flake graphite (NFG) with different particle size. GO was prepared by modified Hummers method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, laser scattering particle size distribution analyzer and Atom force microscopy (AFM) were used to identify the characteristics of NFG and GO. The results provide evidence of how the graphite particle size affects the oxidation process and sheet size of the GO. Varies size monolayer GO sheets could be produced from the graphite with different particle size. The sheet size of GO is much smaller than that of the graphite, and the sheet size reduced multiple is proportional to the graphite particle size. The smaller particle size graphite is easily to be oxidized for a higher concentration GO suspension, and for more defect in the structure. Thus, this study leads to a better understanding of the preparation process of GO and provides a way to produce GO in different sheet size suitable for different applications.