Graphene Oxide (GO) has garnered significant attention for its potential in biomedical applications, including wound healing, drug delivery, biosensing, cancer therapy and environmental sustainability. However, the costly fabrication and characterization methods have hindered its utilization in these applications, especially in developing countries like Pakistan, where financial and resource constraints limit access to advanced materials like GO. In this study, high-quality Graphene Oxide is successfully fabricated using a cost-effective approach utilizing modified Hummer’s method adapted to resource constrained laboratory conditions, offering a cost effective and scalable alternative. The synthesized GO was comprehensively characterized using FTIR, SEM, XRD, TGA, and DSC. XRD confirmed a well-ordered layered structure with characteristic peak at 10.9° (d-spacing = 8.7 Å), indicative of successful oxidation. FTIR identified key oxygenated functional groups; hydroxyl, epoxy, carbonyl and carboxyl, essential for biomedical functionality. SEM revealed a uniform particle size of approximately 10 μm, with porous regions that may enhance adsorption performance. Thermal analysis (TGA\ DSC) confirmed the presence of oxygen containing groups, validating the degree of oxidation. The promising results demonstrate that the proposed approach produces GO with properties consistent with established literature, while significantly reducing fabrication barriers. This research lays a foundation for affordable GO based solutions in wound healing, targeted drug delivery, biosensing and environmental remediation in developing countries.
Amna Amin Sethi, Hoorain Sajjad, Ramna Ayub, Bisma Arif, Romesa Arshad and Eraj Humayun Mirza