Production and properties of top-down and bottom-up graphene oxide

Two known ways of Graphene Oxide (GO) production, "bottom-up" and "top-down" were investigated and their products compared. First one is based on thermal decomposition of citric acid in different conditions while the second is based on the known modified Hummers method, in our case, it is the oxidation and exfoliation of synthetic graphite. The first technique, less known, was investigated deeper to check the influence of process parameters on the yield, size distribution and chemical and physical properties of the obtained bottom-up GO. Both types of products are compared due to their morphology, size distribution, physicochemical properties, acidic properties in water, and fluorescence in various pH conditions in water, all at various production process parameters.