Frontispiece: Brodie's or Hummers’ Method: Oxidation Conditions Determine the Structure of Graphene Oxide

The oxidation of graphite may be considered as an art, however, the oxidation of graphite by sodium chlorate (often termed as Brodie's method) and potassium permanganate (often termed as Hummers’ method), respectively, lead to similar materials. For both methods, the carbon framework can be preserved by introducing a “speed limit” for the reaction. The final properties then are determined by the surface functional groups. For more details see the Communication by P. Feicht, S. Eigler et al. on page 8955 ff.