Effect of Ultrasonic Treatment on the Functional Groups and Lateral Size of Graphene Oxide Flakes

The dependence of ultrasonic treatment for different times at room temperature on the composition and structure of graphene oxide obtained by the modified Hummers’ method is investigated. It is noted that with an increase in the time spent on the ultrasonic exfoliation of graphene-oxide dispersions, the lateral size of the flakes simultaneously decreases and quantitative changes occur in oxygen-containing functional groups, such as the hydroxyl, carbonyl and epoxy groups. The obtained materials are characterized by various physical-chemical methods of analysis, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared IR and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), C,H,N analysis and Boehm titration.