A simple and reliable method based on the Bucherer reaction is proposed for the functionalization of graphene oxide (GO) with amine (-NH 2 ) groups. In the proposed method the chemical reaction between ammonia and GO ,as the precursor materials, is catalyzed with sodium bisulfite. The prepared amino-reduced graphene oxide (amino-r-GO) was characterized with spectroscopic and imaging techniques including FT-IR, XRD, XPS, SEM, EDX elemental mapping and thermal-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The surface analysis and material characterization reveal the high percentage of amine functional groups can be achieved via this method. The investigation of electrocatalytic activity of the prepared amino/r-GO toward oxygen reduction reaction confirms the significant improving the catalytic activity of amine functionalized graphene surface in the vicinity of doped nitrogen in same graphene framework.The onset potential of ORR vs. Ag/AgCl in 0.1 M KOH solution is observed at -0.05 V and peak current density is 1.15 mA cm -2 comparable to observed values for Pt/C as electrocatalyst (onset potential -0.04 and peak current density 1.17 mA cm -2 ) . This prepared amino/r-GO is so important to future research for the extension of various graphene-based composites.The reaction is completed in a typical autoclave tube over night at the temperature of ~170 °C.During the single displacement reaction in hydrothermal condition, phenolic oxygen located at the surface and the edge plane of GO, are replaced by -NH 2 groups resulting in amino-Gr.Moreover, during the hydrothermal condition the epoxy groups are removed and the GO platelets are reduced to r-GO nanosheets.It is well known that Bucherer reaction is the reversible conversion of naphthol to naphthyl amine. In the case of GO functionalization process, the initial reactants have a high dispersibility or frequently, solubility in aqueous solution while, after amine functionalization the resultant product (amino-rGO) is almost insoluble, even its dispersibility in water is drastically decreased compare to GO. Therefore, we believe the amination process of GO through bucherer reaction is mostly proceed in the forward direction, so this process has a little reversibility.As discussed above, GO has a higher dispersibility rather than amines functionalized GO in water. Moreover, the single sheets of GO are dissolved in water after dispersion and the color of solution changed to yellow. Hence, the exfoliated GO might be better for functionalization but

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