Graphene and its counterparts have been widely used for the removal of contaminants from (waste)water but with limited success for the removal of pharmaceutical contaminants. Driven by this need, this study reports, for the first time, the removal of pharmaceuticals from real contaminated water samples using porous graphene (PG) as a filter-based column. This work systematically evaluates the performance of PG as a filter medium for the removal of widely consumed pharmaceutical/emerging contaminants (ECs) such as atenolol, carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, diclofenac, gemfibrozil and ibuprofen. Several factors were investigated in these column studies, including different reactive layer configurations, bed packing heights (5–45 mm), filter sizes (inner diameter 18–40 mm), adsorbent dosages (100–500 mg-PG) and water bodies (distilled water, greywater, and actual effluent wastewater). Sustainable synthesis of PG was carried out followed by its use as a filter medium for the removal of pharmaceuticals at high concentrations (10.5 ± 0.5 mg/L) and trace concentrations (1 mg/L). These findings revealed that the double-layered PG-sand column outperformed a PG single-layered configuration for the removal of most of the ECs. The removal efficiency of ECs from their solutions was improved by increasing PG dosages and filter bed height and size. Although the treatment of mixed pharmaceutical solutions from different water bodies was affected by the negative interference caused by competing water compounds, the treatment of ECs-contaminated greywater was not severely affected. Our findings suggest that PG, as a highly efficient filter medium, could be used for the removal of emerging pharmaceutical contaminants from water and wastewater.

Biomolecular fractions affect the fate and behaviour of quantum dots (QDs) in living systems but how the interactions between biomolecules and QDs affect the bioavailability of QDs is a major knowledge gap in risk assessment analysis. The transport of QDs after release into a living organism is a complex process. The majority accumulate in the lungs where they can directly affect the inhalation process and lung architecture. Here, we investigate the bioavailability of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) to the lungs of rats by measuring the alterations in macromolecular fractions via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). GQDs were intravenously injected into the rats in a dose-dependent manner (low (5 mg kg) and high (15 mg kg) doses of GQDs per body weight of rat) for 7 days. The lung tissues were isolated, processed and haematoxylin-eosin stained for histological analysis to identify cell death. Key biochemical differences were identified by spectral signatures: pronounced changes in cholesterol were found in two cases of low and high doses; a change in phosphorylation profile of substrate proteins in the tissues was observed in low dose at 24 h. This is the first time biomolecules have been measured in biological tissue using FTIR to investigate the biocompatibility of foreign material. We found that highly accurate toxicological changes can be investigated with FTIR measurements of tissue sections. As a result, FTIR could form the basis of a non-invasive pre-diagnostic tool for predicting the toxicity of GQDs.

A novel core/shell structure composed of N-doped rutile TiO2@g-C3N4 (NT@CNx) with an S-scheme heterojunction is successfully synthesized. The S-scheme heterojunction optimizes the electrochemical property and redox ability of the NT@CNx composite.

Graphene oxide (GO) is a conventional yet vital precursor for the synthesis of porous graphene (PG). Several strong oxidizing agents such as potassium permanganate and perchlorates are typically used for oxidization of graphite. However, they expose toxic reactants/products that harm the environment. Therefore, a greener approach is desperately needed to oxidize and exfoliate graphite. This study reports for the first time on successful oxidation of graphite by ferrate(VI) compounds via an encapsulation approach. By further reducing GO prepared from this near green route with vitamin C, PG anticipated by many highly important and expanding areas such as water treatment could be readily achieved. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV−vis spectroscopy, and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) along with energy-dispersive spectroscopy confirmed the high yield of GO from the oxidation of graphite. Raman spectroscopy, XRD, and TEM confirmed the formation of high-quality few-layered PG from the reduction of as-prepared GO. The above results demonstrated the practicality of using encapsulated ferrate(VI) compounds to realize green oxidation of graphite and resolve the paradox about the oxidation capability of ferrate(VI). To further illustrate its potential for the removal of emerging and crucial contaminants from water, as-prepared PG was further examined against the contaminants of methyl orange (MeO) dye and ibuprofen (IBU). Taken together, the results revealed that more than 90% removal efficiency could be achieved at a high PG dosage against MeO and IBU. This ground-breaking greener approach opens the door to risk-free, extensive graphene environmental applications.