The chemistry of graphene oxide is discussed in this critical review. Particular emphasis is directed toward the synthesis of graphene oxide, as well as its structure. Graphene oxide as a substrate for a variety of chemical transformations, including its reduction to graphene-like materials, is also discussed. This review will be of value to synthetic chemists interested in this emerging field of materials science, as well as those investigating applications of graphene who would find a more thorough treatment of the chemistry of graphene oxide useful in understanding the scope and limitations of current approaches which utilize this material (91 references).

Our understanding of the fundamental structure and bonding of graphene oxide (GO) as well as the scope of its utility have grown tremendously over the past decade. As a result, the pace of research efforts directed toward this carbon material continues to increase. Contemporary application now intersects a variety of disciplines and includes heterogeneous catalysis, flow reactor technologies, biomedicine and biotechnology, polymer composites, energy storage, and chemical sensors. Advances in these areas have been buoyed by improvements in the methods used to synthesize and characterize GO, as well as functionalized derivatives thereof. While the diverse uses of GO have been reviewed previously, herein we provide an overview of some of the most recent and significant developments in the field. A brief overview of GO's synthesis and characterization is also provided as well as several recently proposed structural models. The inherent reactivity of GO is described in the context of catalysis, and the utilization of GO's reactive oxygen groups and carbon framework to prepare functionalized derivatives is also discussed. Finally, we provide an outlook of potential areas where GO, its derivatives, and related materials may be expected to find utility or opportunity for further growth and study.

Carbocatalysis the intersection of carbon materials and catalysis—is the use of large-area, metal-free carbon to facilitate chemical reactions. In their Communication on page 6813 ff., C. Bielawski and co-workers demonstrate that graphene-based materials may be used as carbocatalysts to facilitate a number of synthetically useful transformations, including the oxidation of alcohols and alkenes into their respective aldehydes and ketones, as well as the hydration of alkynes.