Graphite oxide Auger-electron diagnostics

Highlights: • Very large graphite oxide (GO) flakes (∼100 μm) were studied by AES and XPS. • Auger energies for the GO main functional groups were obtained for the first time. • AES technique for determining the GO chemical/elemental composition was developed. • The developed technique gives concentration of chemically bound hydrogen. • The developed technique provides information on the GO surface and bulk. - Abstract: Graphite oxide (GO) nanofilms on the SiO₂/Si surface have been studied by photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) with synchrotron radiation and by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Auger electron energies were determined for the basic functional GO groups: hydroxyl (C−OH) and epoxide (C−O−C). The data obtained enabled developing a technique for the GO chemical and elemental composition determination. The technique allows controlling the hydrogen content in GO despite the impossibility of Auger emission from hydrogen