▎ 摘　　要

Over the last two decades, graphene and its derivatives have attracted lots of attention because of its peculiar properties. In this review, a general introduction, history, synthesis and applications of graphene and graphene oxide have been provided. However, we have emphasized the different synthetic routes adopted for synthesizing graphene oxide (GO). Till now, several methods have been developed for the synthesis of graphene oxide such as micro-mechanical, exfoliation of pyrolytic graphite; CVD, epitaxial growth, etc. Here in this review paper, we have discussed four methods for the synthesis of graphene oxide, namely Brodie's method, Staudenmaier method, Hofmann method, and Hummer's method. Mostly, graphene oxide has been synthesized by graphite oxidation. Because of excellent properties, chemical functionalization and ease of production graphene and its derivatives have made their way to various applications. Few of the applications of graphene oxide like in electronic devices, energy storage devices, biosensors, coating technology, and graphene oxide composites and paper-like materials have also been incorporated into this paper.