Electrically accelerated removal of organic pollutants by a three‐dimensional graphene aerogel

Abstract

Fast and effective methods for the removal of pollutants are crucial for the development of new sustainable water treatment technologies. In this work, we have reported the electrically accelerated removal of some typical organic pollutants by a three‐dimensional graphene aerogel (3DG). The porous 3DG was fabricated by chemical reduction of graphene oxide. The morphology and structure of 3DG were characterized by microscopic and spectroscopic approaches. The experiments indicated that 3DG‐based electrosorption could accelerate the removal of positively and negatively charged pollutants, such as Acid Red 88, Orange II, and Methylene Blue, as well as enhance the maximum adsorption capacity toward these contaminants. The interaction mechanisms between these organic pollutants and 3DG surface were further elucidated by Dispersion corrected Density Functional Theory (DFT‐D) calculations. This 3DG‐based system offers a potentially effective method for the rapid removal of organic pollutants and provides a new sustainable approach for water and wastewater treatment. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 2154–2162, 2016