Preparation of Three‐Dimensional Chitosan–Graphene Oxide Aerogel for Residue Oil Removal

Abstract

Graphene oxide has been used as an adsorbent in wastewater treatment. However, the hydrophily and dispersibility in aqueous solution limit its practical application in environmental protection. In this paper, a novel, environmentally friendly adsorbent, chitosan and chitosan-graphene oxide aerogels with a diverse shape, large specific surface area, and unique porous structure were prepared by a freeze-drying method. The structure of the adsorbents was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD); the specific surface area and swelling capability were also characterized. In addition, removal of diesel oil from seawater by chitosan aerogel (CSAG) and chitosan-graphene oxide aerogel (AGGO-1 and AGGO-2) was studied and batch adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of different adsorbent dosages (0-6 g), contact time (0-120 minutes), pH (3-9), and initial concentrations of oil residue (3-30 g/L) to determine the optimum condition for the adsorption of residue oil from seawater. The results showed that the chitosan-graphene oxide aerogels were more effective to remove diesel oil from seawater compared with pure chitosan aerogel. A removal efficiency ≥ 95% of the chitosan-graphene oxide aerogels could be achieved easily at the initial concentrations of 20 g/L, which indicated that the chitosan-graphene oxide aerogels can be used to treat the industrial oil leakage or effluent in the natural water.

Freeze‐Casting with 3D‐Printed Templates Creates Anisotropic Microchannels and Patterned Macrochannels within Biomimetic Nanofiber Aerogels for Rapid Cellular Infiltration

“…[ 11 ] Moreover, many precursors need additional curing time and agents during the process in order to tune porosity and other material properties. [ 12–15 ] Recently, freeze‐casting suspensions of nano‐/microscale materials has become a viable alternative approach to fabricate aerogels. This technique is dependent on many factors, including suspension concentration, type of suspending liquid, freezing temperature, and thermal conductivity of the freezing container.…”

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

“…To further improve the adsorption capacity and mechanical properties, researchers tried to add carbon components into chitosan-based aerogels. Guo et al 204 prepared graphene oxide-chitosan aerogel (AGGO) after lyophilization by mixing graphene oxide with chitosan suspension, stirring mechanically, and using glutaraldehyde as the crosslinking agent. On a large scale, the aerogel exhibits interconnected, porous, three-dimensional, and randomly-oriented internal structures.…”

A Mini Review: Application Progress of Magnetic Graphene Three-Dimensional Materials for Water Purification

“…Graphene aerogels and sponges are three-dimensional materials with large specific surface areas (Chen et al, 2018) and unique porous structure (Xiao et al, 2017). The multiple actions of capillary driving force, π-π bonds, hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces and electrostatic forces cause the materials play various important roles for water remediation applications (Guo et al, 2016).…”