Graphene Aerogels Decorated with α-FeOOH Nanoparticles for Efficient Adsorption of Arsenic from Contaminated Waters

Abstract

Arsenic (As) is the world's most hazardous chemical found in drinking water of many countries; therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of low-cost adsorbents for its removal. Here, we report a highly versatile and synthetic route for the preparation of a three-dimensional (3D) graphene-iron oxide nanoparticle aerogel composite for the efficient removal of As from contaminated water. This unique three-dimensional (3D) interconnected network was prepared from natural graphite rocks with a simple reaction, without the use of harsh chemicals, which combines with the exfoliation of graphene oxide (GO) sheets via the reduction of ferrous ion to form a graphene aerogel composite decorated with iron oxide nanoparticles. The prepared adsorbent showed outstanding absorption performance for the removal of As from contaminated water, because of its high surface-to-volume ratio and characteristic pore network in the 3D architecture. The performed case study using real drinking water contaminated with As under batch conditions showed successful removal of arsenic to the concentration recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Separation-free Al-Mg/graphene oxide composites for enhancement of urban stormwater runoff quality

“…Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted on TA instrument (SDT Q600, USA), where the sample was heated from 25 to 800°C at a heating rate of 10°C/min in air atmosphere. The specific surface area (SSA) of the prepared composites was determined using a Methylene Blue (MB) adsorption method [28]. Batch equilibrium technique with different initial pH was applied to determine pH pzc (details in the supplementary data) [34].…”

Nano-Doped Monolithic Materials for Molecular Separation

“…An outstanding trend in the recent application of graphene nanoparticles is in the fabrication of graphene aerogel-based monoliths unlike the mainstream co-polymerisation of nanoparticles with monomers [66,67,95,96]. For instance; Huang, Chen, Zhang, Lu, and Zhan [67] used glucone-δ-lactone as gel promoter in the presence of either a metal ion or polyamine cross-linker to form an aerogel monolith.…”

“…The inclusion or synthesis of nanoparticles (NP) into monolithic matrices occurs through either surface modification (Figure 1) or in situ polymerisation processes (Figure 2) to improve the properties of the monolithic solid phase. Of a note, the in situ technique can be grouped into two ways; (i) polymerisation of nanoparticles [66,67] and (ii) copolymerisation of nanoparticles with monomers [68], to form a solo continuous porous networked adsorbent. The structural rigidity, thermal and chemical stabilities, as well as the electrical conductivity of monolithic adsorbents, are easily manipulated with nanoparticles to enhance molecular interaction and other functional characteristics [19,69,70].…”

Self-assembled one-dimensional MnO2@zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 nanostructures for highly efficient arsenite removal

“…5a). 3 On the other hand, the aperture pore of ZIF-8 is 3.4 Å; however, the hydrated diameter of AsIJIII) is too large to fit through the ZIF-8 shell (7.70 Å). 44,45 We therefore speculate that gap defects between the ZIF-8 crystals may exist, leading to AsIJIII) diffusion into the interior (Fig.…”

“…Therefore, the maximum contaminant level of arsenic in drinking water is stringently limited at 10 μg L −1 by the World Health Organization. [1][2][3] By comparing various technologies, adsorption is considered as a promising approach as a result of its easy maintenance, low cost and the availability of a wide range of adsorbents. [4][5][6][7][8] Arsenic exists in two predominant species, namely, arsenite (AsIJIII)) and arsenate (AsIJV)).…”