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Microfluidics-generated graphene oxide microspheres and their application to removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate from polluted water

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Abstract

Monodisperse graphene oxide (GO) microspheres were synthesized via microfluidics technology as a novel adsorbent for rapid (in 2 min) and high efficiency (98%) removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) from water. This novel material is a potential solution for treatment of bioaccumulative organic polluted water. To achieve improved performance, Mg2+ was introduced into GO, and the metal composite exhibited significantly improved PFOS removal efficiency owing to bridging and interaction between Mg2+ and the PFOS molecules, which was supported by density functional theory and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). This facile strategy may be extended to the synthesis of other spheres with unique structural features for application in water treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China

    Changwei Zhao & Yi Xu

  2. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    Changwei Zhao, Jing Fan & Dong Chen

  3. The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Tao Wang

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  1. Changwei Zhao
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  2. Jing Fan
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  3. Dong Chen
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  4. Yi Xu
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  5. Tao Wang
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Correspondence to Changwei Zhao.

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Zhao, C., Fan, J., Chen, D. et al. Microfluidics-generated graphene oxide microspheres and their application to removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate from polluted water. Nano Res. 9, 866–875 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-015-0968-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-015-0968-7

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