Mechanically Tunable Spongy Graphene/Cellulose Nanocrystals Hybrid Aerogel by Atmospheric Drying and Its Adsorption Applications

Abstract

For expanding applications of spongy graphene aerogels (GAs) cost-effectively, we report a marriage of the two-step hydrothermal reduction and atmospheric drying method to fabricate a spongy CNC-graphene aerogel (CNG) with oil/water selectivity and tunable mechanical strength by a low-cost and straightforward approach. The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with CNC by the ice-templated method can give rise to forming the hierarchical structure of hybrid GAs within the PUS network. Meanwhile, the fractured structure of PUS with a pre-compressive step arouses more versatility and durability, involving its selective and high-volume absorbability (up to 143%). The enhanced elastic modulus and more significant swelling effect than pure sponge materials give it a high potential for durable wastewater treatment.

Natural polysaccharide-based aerogels and their applications in oil–water separations: a review

“…It should be noted that the aerogel can be compressed to change its shape in a dry state, and it can quickly recover its shape after being put into the oil; the aerogel has good elasticity and can still maintain stable performance even after 100 cycles of absorption-recovery. Luo et al 157 did not carry out freeze-drying but combined atmospheric drying and two-step hydrothermal reduction to prepare the porous cellulose–graphene hybrid aerogels (CNG); the ice template method used in the literature combines reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with CNC to form a hybrid structure, which effectively improves the mechanical properties, under the maximum strain (99%) impact load, which still shows resilience without breaking or degrading. At the same time, the unique compressive performance guarantees the number of compression cycles and linear mechanical properties.…”

Sustainable and Elastic Carbon Aerogel by Polydimethylsiloxane Coating for Organic Solvent Absorption and Potential Application for Sensors (Infections, Environmental, Wearable Sensors, etc.)

“…Cyclic utilization is a crucial consideration for developing competent OAMs [ 15 ]. In particular, when regenerating OAMs, physical compression is required for the removal of absorbed liquid materials.…”