Electrochemical Synthesis of Multilayer Graphene Oxide by Anodic Oxidation of Disperse Graphite

The electrochemical method for synthesizing multilayer graphene oxide by the anodic oxidation of disperse graphite in sulfuric acid is proposed. The possibility of sequential dispersion of graphite in the course of its electrochemical oxidation, hydrolysis, and thermolysis is demonstrated. It is shown that the resulting nanostructured materials tend to form agglomerates in aqueous dispersions. When treated with supersonic, the size of oxidized graphite particles decreases noticeably and they form multilayer graphene oxide. Thermolysis (250°С) leads to a considerable expansion of oxidized graphite particles (the inflation coefficient 1490 cm 3 g –1 ) and reduction of oxygen-containing functional groups. The structure of thus obtained material includes polygraphene sheets with the thickness of 0.01–0.1 µm and contains pores of 1–10 µm.