Following Hummer's method,I prepared Graphene oxide and the final product was like this in the file attached below. After centrifuging,it looked this way(also attached below). It seemed pretty much like the predicted outcome as in the video below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HICuva__6Q4
But i am not sure about the shining particles at the below of the tube after centrifuged. It seems like clay particles as the impurities. I couldn't find the most pure graphite while i bought it. But the owner of the shop said it was about 95% pure. Now I don't know how to remove those impurities. Could anyone suggest me any idea if possible?
Is filtration (with a piece of gauze fabric) a possible way to exclude the particles? You might need to dilute the GO suspension first to ensure no GO clogs the fabric.
There can be two plausible reasons.
1. The oxidation step was not carried out properly.
2. Purity of the raw material also has similar issues, therefore as suggested by above researchers filtration can be done.
i don't know but talked to one of my seniors working on same project and may be ultrasonication works.
Ultrasonication enhances exfoliation in GO solution but the starting material is not pure (5% impurity is a lot at nanoscale).
Will ultrasonication then centrifugation work?
I don't know. Before I could try for ultrasonication,the sample that i got after centrifuging got in contact with Aluminium foil and got damaged. Have to prepare a new sample. Will let you know after it's done. Thanks :)
Usually, GO can be washed using HCl and DI water with vacuum filtration. When the degree of oxidation of GO is high, GO present very good hydrophilicity, vacuum filtration may could not drew water out from GO suspension. In this condition, we used centrifuge to remove the acid solution. What's more, we also used dialysis to purify GO.
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