Superhydrophobic and superoleophilic graphene aerogel prepared by facile chemical reduction

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Vol. 3; no. 14; pp. 7498 - 7504
• Main Authors: Xu, Liming, Xiao, Guyu, Chen, Caibao, Li, Run, Mai, Yiyong, Sun, Guoming, Yan, Deyue
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Aerogels; Density; Fourier transforms; Graphene; Infrared spectroscopy; Oxides; Reduction (chemical); Solvents; X-rays
• ISSN: 2050-7488; 2050-7496
• DOI: 10.1039/C5TA00383K

A superhydrophobic neat graphene aerogel was fabricated for the first time by the facile chemical reduction of a graphene oxide dispersion. The chemical reduction of graphene oxide was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The resulting graphene aerogel showed complete water repellency, superoleophilicity, ultra-low density, large specific surface area, high absorption capacity of oils and organic solvents, superior absorption recyclability, and excellent mechanical properties. Its absorption capacity was higher than 100 g g −1 for all the utilized common organic solvents. In addition, the fabrication procedure was simple, scalable, and environmental friendly. Thus, it displays promising application prospects in the field of oil-absorption and oil–water separation.