Abstract
An environmentally benign and efficient hydrothermal reduction method was applied for the preparation of three-dimensional (3D) porous graphene hydrogel (GH) adsorbents. The physicochemical properties of GH granules were systematically characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. GH granules showed an excellent adsorption capacity (235.6 mg/g) for ciprofloxacin via combined adsorption interaction mechanisms (e.g. π-π EDA interaction, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interaction). Moreover, reducing the size of the hydrogels can significantly accelerate the adsorption process and enhance the removal efficiency of pollutants from aqueous solution. Water (more than 99 wt%) within hydrogels played a key role in enhancing adsorption performance. The GO hydrogels exhibited an excellent adaptability to environmental factors. These findings demonstrate that GH granules are promising adsorbents for the removal of antibiotic pollutants from aqueous solutions.
Highlights
Graphene, a new two-dimensional (2D) carbon nano-material, has been continuously attracting significant research interests because of its unique properties of high mobility of charge carriers, high mechanical strength, super thermal and chemical stability with many potential applications in different fields[9]
We have demonstrated a facile solution processable method for the synthesis of 3D porous graphene hydrogels using ascorbic acid as a reducing agent
The resulting graphene hydrogel (GH) granules were used as efficient adsorbents for ciprofloxacin removal in aqueous solutions
Summary
A new two-dimensional (2D) carbon nano-material, has been continuously attracting significant research interests because of its unique properties of high mobility of charge carriers, high mechanical strength, super thermal and chemical stability with many potential applications in different fields[9]. Nano-size graphene adsorbent is very difficult for separation, further increasing application costs in the adsorbent disposition process It is an important but challenging issue of how to make full use of SSA of graphene , which needs to be solved prior to developing graphene-based adsorbents. Various methods[11], including flow-directed assembly[12], evaporation induced self-assembly[13], the Langmuir-Blodgett technique[14], layer-by-layer deposition[15], hydrothermal reduction[16], and chemical bonding via crosslinking agents[17] have been developed to fabricate 3D graphene structures based on the self-assembly of 2D functionalized graphene Among these techniques, hydrothermal reduction of aqueous graphene oxide (GO) dispersion is a relatively simple, low-cost, and mild method for the synthesis of 3D GO hydrogels. GH could serve as a promising adsorbent for the removal of antibiotic pollutants from aqueous solutions
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