Porous and hydrophobic graphene-based core–shell sponges for efficient removal of water contaminants

Abstract

Water pollution is a global environmental problem that has attracted great concern, and functional carbon nanomaterials are widely used in water treatment. Here, to optimize the removal performance of both oil/organic matter and dye molecules, we fabricated porous and hydrophobic core–shell sponges by growing graphene on three-dimensional stacked copper nanowires. The interconnected pores between the one-dimensional nanocore–shells construct the porous channels within the sponge, and the multilayered graphene shells equip the sponge with a water contact angle over 120° even under acidic and alkaline environments, which enables fast and efficient cleanup of oil on or under the water. The core–shell sponge can absorb oil or organic solvents with densities 40–90 times its own, and its oil-sorption capacity is much larger than those of other porous materials like activated carbon and loofah. On the other hand, the adsorption behavior of the core–shell sponge to dyes including methyl orange (MO) and malachite green (MG), also common water pollutants, was also measured. Dynamic adsorption of MG under cyclic compression demonstrated a higher adsorption rate than that in the static state, and an acidic environment was favorable for the adsorption of MO molecules. Finally, the adsorption isotherm for MO molecules was analyzed and fitted with the Langmuir model, and the adsorption kinetics were studied in depth as well.