Structural evolution of graphite oxide during heat treatment

Structural evolution of graphite oxide (GO) during annealing was studied using different techniques. The oxygen containing groups were reduced step-wise at ∼220 °C due to removal of the –OH and –COOH groups. These results suggest that the annealing at ∼220 °C might recover partial electrical conductivity of the GO (from 10−6 to 13 S/cm within less than 10 min) and provide a methodology for developing an electrically conducting composite system by first dispersing the GOs in the matrix, then exfoliation by sonication, and finally heating the composite system at desirable temperatures although complete recovery of the electrical conductivity may not be possible with moderate heat treatment.