Chemically Reduced Graphite Oxide with Improved Shape Anisotropy

Chemically reduced graphite oxide with strongly improved shape anisotropy was prepared by Staudenmaier oxidation of high surface area graphite, followed by hydrazine monohydrate reduction. Selection of the starting graphite was effected on the basis of the highest shape anisotropy of the crystallites. The overall oxidation–reduction procedure preserves the in-plane order of graphite and dramatically increases the out-of-plane disorder, which becomes similar to that one of carbon black. In particular, the overall procedure led to aggregates of few piled structural layers ( D ⊥ ≈ 2 nm) with increased periodicity perpendicular to the layers (from 0.339 nm up to 0.362 nm) and with high shape ( D ∥ / D ⊥ ≈ 13) and strain (ε ⊥ /ε ∥ ≈ 15) anisotropy.