3. Overview of applications and future opportunities of GO

Many devices of GO overtake reference systems, for example, capacitors [4, 5], foldable electronic devices [6], translucent electrodes [7], biomedical applications [8], pollution management [9], sensors [10], H2-generation [9] and energy applications [11].

> © 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and eproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

challenges and opportunities associated with GOs. Subject of interest in this chapter is explor-

Introductory Chapter: Graphene Oxide: Applications and Opportunities

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.79640

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1 Kolhapur Institute of Technology's, College of Engineering (Autonomous), Kolhapur, India

[2] Croft RC. Lamellar compounds of graphite. Quarterly Reviews, Chemical Society. 1960;

[3] Hummers WS, Offeman RE. Preparation of graphite oxide. Journal of the American

[4] Huang Y, Liang J, Chen Y. An overview of the applications of graphene-based materials in

[5] Li J, Östling M. Prevention of graphene restacking for performance boost of supercapacitors.

[6] Chen H, Guo X. Field-effect transistors: Unique role of self-assembled monolayers in

[7] Eigler S. A new parameter based on graphene for characterizing transparent, conductive

[8] Chung C, Kim YK, Shin D, Ryoo SR, Hong BH, Min DH. Biomedical applications of graphene and graphene oxide. Accounts of Chemical Research. 2013;46:2211-2024

[9] Xie G, Zhang K, Guo B, Liu Q, Fang L, Gong JR. Graphene-based materials for hydrogen generation from light-driven water splitting. Advanced Materials. 2013;25:3820-3839

[10] Schedin F, Geim AK, Morozov SV, Hill EW, Blake P, Katsnelson MI, Novoselov KS. Detection of individual gas molecules adsorbed on graphene. Nature Materials. 2007;6:652-655

[11] Lü K, Zhao G, Wang X. A brief review of graphene-based material synthesis and its application in environmental pollution management. Chinese Science Bulletin. 2012;57:

carbon nanomaterial-based field-effect transistors. Small. 2013;9:1144-1159

2 Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, Hsinchu, Taiwan

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphite\_oxide#History\_and\_preparation

ing opportunities and technologies related to energy, pure water and good health.

\*Address all correspondence to: ganeshchemistry2010@gmail.com

Author details

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Ganesh Shamrao Kamble1,2\*

Figure 1. Schematic representation of single layer graphene oxide with zig-zag and arm-chair edges.

Because of its honeycomb lattice with two carbon atoms per unit cell, graphene oxide shows an innumerable of exceptional chemical and physical properties. Due to the valence band and conduction band touch, the Brillouin zone corners [12] so as charge carriers in graphene behave like massless relativistic particles. Due to the delocalized out-of-plane π bonds arising from the sp2 hybridization carbon atoms, an unprecedented high carrier mobility of ≈200,000 cm2 V<sup>1</sup> s 1 has been achieved for suspended graphene [13].

For the bulk production of GO, exfoliation is the most developed attractive method. The pristine graphite is converted into graphite oxide (GO sheets) by using a mixture of KMnO4 and concentrated H2SO4 [14–16]. In the oxidation of GO, large numbers of oxygen-containing functional groups such as epoxides, carboxyl and hydroxyl groups are attached onto the graphene basal plane and edges. Due to its hydrophilic nature, it is easily dispersed in water or polar organic solvents. The structural and electrical properties of pristine graphene are obtained by using reducing agents and thermal treatment, sodium borohydride [17], hydrazine [18] and thermal reduction [19, 20], respectively. Due to carcinogenic and highly toxic reducing agents property, in the recent years, reduction of GO is carried out by green reductants agents such as polyphenols of green tea, melatonin, vitamin C, bovine serum, albumin, sugars and even bacteria was also studied. Hydrothermal, solvothermal reduction, catalytic and photocatalytic reductions have also been developed. Furthermore, surfactant and boiling point of solvents also effect on GO.

At the current level of development, the properties and binding structure of graphene are important toward the recent applications. The knowledge produced by the systematic functionalization of graphene could be a much haunting basis for discovering the chemistry and nanomaterials.

Finally, GO and GO-based nanomaterials and its graphene derivatives are essential for future applications such as fuel cells, vivo sensors, supercapacitors, energy storage devices, and transparent electronics, which will undoubtedly improve when defined graphene derivatives are employed. Future technology expected that the full development and growth will depend only on graphene and its functionalized composite materials. This chapter highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with GOs. Subject of interest in this chapter is exploring opportunities and technologies related to energy, pure water and good health.
