Liquid phase adsorption induced nanosizing of graphene oxide

Graphene Oxide (GO) is widely applied as an adsorbent for adsorption from solution. We show that GO undergoes transformation from micro to nanoscale and forms nanoscale GO (nanoGO) while it is subjected to adsorbed particular organic molecules. This phenomenon has been observed by the Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), zeta potential, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) measurements. A new model is proposed to take nanosizing into account. DFT calculations explain why some adsorbates can be captured from solution on GO and some are not adsorbed. This GO-nanoGO transformation is evidently supported by marked changes in the surface area of GO on liquid phase adsorption of organic molecules on different procedures