Abstract Nanoscale studies of the thermal oxidation and hydrogenation of graphite surfaces have been investigated using scanning tunnelling microscopy and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy. ðp à Þ, IS and negative differential resistance electronic states recorded over islands of such treated graphite. However, these states vanish on various regions on the thermally oxidized graphite islands. This is ascribed to the disappearance of p=p à bands when the graphite surface oxidizes and indicates the presence of oxygenated groups on the graphite surface
