TOPOCHEMISTRY OF GRAPHITE OXIDATION

In this study we report about the microstructure of oxidized HOPG. The sample was treated at 1000 K for 30 min in air. This produced an interface which can be considered a snapshot of the state of solid surface during bulk oxidation. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) were used for this study in combination with in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) for integral characterization. A pronounced inhomogeneity of the topochemistry of carbon oxidation was clearly imaged. The presence of oxygenate "impurities" on cleaned carbon surfaces was substantiated. It is demonstrated that several auxiliary techniques are required to interpret the complex microstructural information from STM.