Modification of graphite oxide nanoparticles prepared via electrochemically oxidizing method

Graphite oxide nanoparticles (GONPs), prepared via electrochemically oxidizing technique, were chemically reduced by hydrazine hydrate in water medium. The electrical conductivity of the samples showed an improvement by three orders of magnitude from 1.38 × 10⁻⁶ s cm⁻¹ (before reduction) to 1.02 × 10⁻³ s cm⁻¹ (after reduction). UV–vis measurement was used to explained the restoration of the conducting conjugated networks in graphite nanoparticles. The hydrophilic GONPs or their reduced samples could be further organically modified, using cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB) as a modifier, turned to a hydrophobic nanoparticles which could form homogeneous and stable dispersion in toluene, and other organic media.