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Removal of mercury and fluoride from aqueous solutions by three-dimensional reduced-graphene oxide aerogel

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Abstract

Three-dimensional reduced-graphene oxide (3-D RGO) hydrogel was synthesized by hydrothermal method from graphene oxide, de-ionized water, and oxalic acid dehydrate. The porous and low-density 3-D RGO aerogel was prepared after the RGO hydrogel was freeze-dried. The application of the 3-D RGO aerogel as an adsorbent for the removal of the inorganic ions, mercury(II) cation (Hg2+), and fluoride anions (F−), from aqueous solutions was investigated. The results revealed that the 3-D RGO aerogel showed excellent removal capabilities for Hg2+ and F−. The adsorption data could be well described by the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption isotherms followed the Langmuir model better than the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capability of Hg2+ and F− approached 185 and 31.3 mg g−1, respectively, indicating that the 3-D RGO aerogel is a very suitable material for environmental pollution management.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Postgraduate Academic Innovation and Research Project Foundation of Anhui University (yqh100056), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21177131 and 21277146), and Key Technologies R & D Program of Anhui Province (1501021005).

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  1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, People’s Republic of China

    Shibiao Wu & Jinhuai Liu

  2. Nanomaterials and Environmental Detection Laboratory, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, People’s Republic of China

    Shibiao Wu, Lingtao Kong & Jinhuai Liu

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Wu, S., Kong, L. & Liu, J. Removal of mercury and fluoride from aqueous solutions by three-dimensional reduced-graphene oxide aerogel. Res Chem Intermed 42, 4513–4530 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11164-015-2293-x

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