Advances in the applications of graphene adsorbents: from water treatment to soil remediation

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lianqin Zhao ◽  
Sheng-Tao Yang ◽  
Ailimire Yilihamu ◽  
Deyi Wu

AbstractGraphene, a novel carbon allotrope, is single-layered graphite with honeycomb lattice. Its unique structure endows graphene many outstanding physical/chemical properties and a large surface area, which are beneficial to its applications in many areas. The potential applications of graphene in pollution remediation are adsorption, membrane separation, catalysis, environmental analysis, and so on. The adsorption efficiency of graphene adsorbents largely depends on its surface area, porous structure, oxygen-containing groups and other functional groups, adsorption conditions, and also the properties of adsorbates. With appropriate modifications, graphene materials are mostly efficient adsorbents for organic pollutants (e.g. dyes, pesticides, and oils) and inorganic pollutants (e.g. metal ions, nonmetal ions, and gas). Since our first report of graphene adsorbents in 2010, plenty of studies have been dedicated to developing various graphene adsorbents and to evaluating their performance in treating contaminated water. Recently, there is a growing trend in graphene adsorbents that could be applied in soil remediation, where the situation is much more complicated than in aqueous systems. Herein, we review the design of graphene adsorbents for water treatment and analyze their potential in soil remediation. Several suggestions to accelerate the research on graphene-based soil remediation technology are proposed.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9932
Author(s):  
Tariqul Islam ◽  
Yanliang Li ◽  
Hefa Cheng

Biochars (BCs) are considered as ecofriendly and multifunctional materials with significant potential for remediation of contaminated water and soils, while engineered biochars (E-BCs) with enlarged surface areas and abundant surface functional groups can perform even better in environmental remediation. This review systematically summarizes the key physical and chemical properties of BCs that affect their pollutant sorption capacities, major methods employed for modification of E-BCs, the performance of BCs/E-BCs in removing major types of organic (e.g., antibiotics and pesticides) and inorganic pollutants (e.g., heavy metals), and the corresponding removal mechanisms. The physical and chemical properties of BCs—such as ash or mineral contents, aromaticity, surface structures, pH, and surface functional groups (e.g., C=O, -COOH, -OH, and -NH2)—depend primarily on their feedstock sources (i.e., plant, sludge, or fecal) and the pyrolysis temperature. Ion exchange, precipitation, electrostatic attraction, and complexation are the main mechanisms involved in the adsorption of inorganic pollutants on BCs/E-BCs, whereas hydrogen bonding, pore filling, electrostatic attraction, hydrophobic interaction, and van der Waals forces are the major driving forces for the uptake of organic pollutants. Despite their significant promises, more pilot and field scale investigations are necessary to demonstrate the practical applicability and viability of BCs/E-BCs in water and soil remediation.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1604
Author(s):  
Andrea Dodero ◽  
Maila Castellano ◽  
Paola Lova ◽  
Massimo Ottonelli ◽  
Elisabetta Brunengo ◽  
...  

Poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibrous mats containing ad hoc synthesized gold nanostructures were prepared via a single-step electrospinning procedure and investigated as a novel composite platform with several potential applications. Specifically, the effect of differently shaped and sized gold nanostructures on the resulting mat physical-chemical properties was investigated. In detail, nearly spherical nanoparticles and nanorods were first synthesized through a chemical reduction of gold precursors in water by using (hexadecyl)trimethylammonium bromide as the stabilizing agent. These nanostructures were then dispersed in poly(vinyl alcohol) aqueous solutions to prepare nanofibrous mats, which were then stabilized via a humble thermal treatment able to enhance their thermal stability and water resistance. Remarkably, the nanostructure type was proven to influence the mesh morphology, with the small spherical nanoparticles and the large nanorods leading to thinner well defined or bigger defect-rich nanofibers, respectively. Finally, the good mechanical properties shown by the prepared composite mats suggest their ease of handleability thereby opening new perspective applications.


Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 369
Author(s):  
Shengji Xia ◽  
Xinran Zhang ◽  
Yuanchen Zhao ◽  
Fibor J. Tan ◽  
Pan Li ◽  
...  

The membrane separation process is being widely used in water treatment. It is very important to control membrane fouling in the process of water treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of a pre-oxidation-coagulation flat ceramic membrane filtration process using different oxidant types and dosages in water treatment and membrane fouling control. The results showed that under suitable concentration conditions, the effect on membrane fouling control of a NaClO pre-oxidation combined with a coagulation/ceramic membrane system was better than that of an O3 system. The oxidation process changed the structure of pollutants, reduced the pollution load and enhanced the coagulation process in a pre-oxidation-coagulation system as well. The influence of the oxidant on the filtration system was related to its oxidizability and other characteristics. NaClO and O3 performed more efficiently than KMnO4. NaClO was more conducive to the removal of DOC, and O3 was more conducive to the removal of UV254.


2013 ◽  
Vol 832 ◽  
pp. 589-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.A. Edama ◽  
A. Sulaiman ◽  
K.H. Ku Hamid ◽  
M.N. Muhd Rodhi ◽  
Mohibah Musa ◽  
...  

This study analyzed the effects of sulphuric acid (H2SO4) treatment on pysico-chemical properties and morphological changes of clay obtained from Sg. Sayong, Perak. The clay was ground and sieved to <150μm and treated with different concentrations of H2SO4. The treatment was completed by refluxing the clay with different concentration of H2SO4 (1M, 5M and 10M ) at 100 °C for 4 hours and followed by calcination at 500 °C for 1 hour. The physic-chemical properties and morphological changes of the untreated and treated clay were compared using Surface Area Analyser, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Micrograph (FESEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that acid treatment of 5M increased the surface area from 25 m2/g to 75 m2/g and the pore volume increased from 0.1518 cc/g to 0.3546 cc/g. The nanopore size of the clay decreased from 24.8 nm to 19.4 nm after treated with acid. This can be explained due to the elimination of the exchangeable cations and generation of microporosity. The results of XRF showed SiO2 increased from 58.34% to 74.52% and Al2O3 reduced from 34.6% to 18.31%. The mineral oxides such as Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, K2O and TiO2 also reduced. This concluded that H2SO4 treatment has led to significant removal of octahedral Al3+, Fe3+ cations and other impurities. In conclusion, this study showed the physico-chemical properties and morphology of Sayong clay were improved once treated with H2SO4 and therefore suggests better supporting material for enzyme immobilization.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1939
Author(s):  
Helyati Abu Hassan Shaari ◽  
Muhammad Mahyiddin Ramli ◽  
Mohd Nazim Mohtar ◽  
Norizah Abdul Rahman ◽  
Azizan Ahmad

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a lightweight insulating polymer that possesses good mechanical stability. On the other hand, polyaniline (PANi) is one of the most favorable conducting materials to be used, as it is easily synthesized, cost-effective, and has good conductivity. However, most organic solvents have restricted potential applications due to poor mechanical properties and dispersibility. Compared to PANi, PMMA has more outstanding physical and chemical properties, such as good dimensional stability and better molecular interactions between the monomers. To date, many research studies have focused on incorporating PANi into PMMA. In this review, the properties and suitability of PANi as a conducting material are briefly reviewed. The major parts of this paper reviewed different approaches to incorporating PANi into PMMA, as well as evaluating the modifications to improve its conductivity. Finally, the polymerization condition to prepare PMMA/PANi copolymer to improve its conductivity is also discussed.


NANO ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 2150050
Author(s):  
Zhaoyu Han ◽  
Sen Li ◽  
Shaoxian Yin ◽  
Zhi-Qin Wang ◽  
Yanfei Cai ◽  
...  

Being the newest member of the 2D materials family, 2D-nanosheet possesses many distinctive physical and chemical properties resulting in a wide range of potential applications. Recently, it was discovered that 2D COF can adsorb single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) efficiently as well as usefully to quench fluorophores. These properties make it possible to prepare DNA-based optical biosensors using 2D COF. While practical analytical applications are being demonstrated, the fundamental understanding of binding between 2D COF and DNA in solution received relatively less attention. In this work, we carried out a systematic study to understand the adsorption and desorption kinetic, mechanism, and influencing factors of ss-DNA on the surface of 2D COF. We demonstrated that shorter DNAs are adsorbed more rapidly and bind more tightly to the surface of 2D COF. The adsorption is favored by a higher pH. The different buffer types also can affect the adsorption. In Tris-HCl solution, the adsorption reached highest efficiency. By adding the complementary DNA (cDNA), desorption of the absorbed DNA on 2D COF can be achieved. Further, desorption efficiency can also be exchanged by various surfactant in solution. These findings are important for further understanding of the interactions between DNA and COFs and for the optimization of DNA and COF-based devices and sensors.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document