Abstract：Chemical oxide methods of preparing graphite oxide like Brodie method, Staudenmaier method and Hummers method, as well as electrochemical oxide methods in aqueous electrolyte and ionic liquid electrolyte were reviewed, together with the reaction principle and evaluation for advantages and disadvantages. Then the application of graphite oxide (graphene oxide) in many fields such as template, wastewater, desalination, biological and battery materials, were summaried. It is prospected that with good physical and chemical properties, graphene is widely used in energy and chemistry fields, so the synthesis of graphite oxide plays a decisive role in the process. High efficiency on target will be achieved with designed targeted functional composite materials for different target products, which will lead the vast development for graphite products.

Keywords： graphite oxide; chemical oxidation; electrochemical oxidation