What is the difference between reduced graphene oxide and graphene ?

According to the IUPAC definition, "graphene is a single carbon layer of graphite structure, describing its nature by anology of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon of quasi-infinite size". However, Reduced graphene oxide is prepared from reduction of graphene oxide by thermal, chemical or electrical treatments. So in the reduced graphene oxide there is always some defects and even though we try to reduce the graphene oxide, there are still some oxygen functional groups in or on the reduced graphene oxide surface. Different reducing agents will lead to various carbon to oxygen ratio and chemical compositions in reduced graphene oxide.
Basically, reduced graphene oxide cannot have the perfect graphene structure which was described above (IUPAC definition), but some people still call it graphene.
One of the best ways to make graphene is by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method on metallic surfaces, which would lead to production of single, few, or multilayer graphene.



1.Graphene- A single layer originated (separated) from graphite.
2.Graphite Oxide- An oxidized product of graphite with > 8 layers.
3.Graphene Oxide- An oxidized product of graphite with < 8 layers.
4.Reduced Graphene Oxide- Reduced product of Graphene Oxide.
All are different from one another with respect to their properties.

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