DRIFT study of deuterium-exchanged graphite oxide

The changes on the IR spectrum of graphite oxide (GO) caused by prolonged drying and isotope exchange with D2O were analyzed. Graphite oxide was prepared from natural flaky graphite by Brodie's method. The spectrum of air-dry GO features a set of overlapping to O-H stretching vibrations of absorbed water molecules and structural OH groups which does not allow distinction between C-OH and H2O peaks. Results show the deuterium exchange over graphite oxide imposes a shift of all OH related bands, allowing for clear distribution between C-OH and H2O IR stretching vibrations, for euclidation of the origin of the 1600 cm-1 band and uncovers a new band, attributed to organic carbonates.