Reduced graphene oxide composites and its real-life application potential for in-situ crude oil removal

Chemosphere. 2020 Jun:249:126141. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126141. Epub 2020 Feb 7.

Abstract

Crude oil pollution can cause severe and long-term ecological damage and oil cleanup has become a worldwide challenge. Conventional treatment strategies like in-situ burning, manual skimmer and bioremediation were labor-intensive and time-consuming. The high viscosity of crude oil also posed difficulty for traditional absorbents. Herein, to address these limitations, we designed and fabricated a floating absorbent that was comprised of reduced graphene oxide (RGO), melamine sponge (MS), and a 3D-printed mounting platform. Through a facile one-pot hydrothermal method, graphene oxide (GO) was simultaneously reduced to RGO and loaded in MS (RGO-MS). The resulted RGO-MS composites possess desirable hydrophobicity/oleophilicity for oil absorption with a water contact angle of 122°. The effective light-to-heat conversion allowed the RGO-MS composite to absorb approximately 95 times its own weight of crude oil within 12 min under light irradiation. A 3D-printed mounting platform for RGO-MS composites was further fabricated to improve its applicability and allow easy retrieval. Taking advantages of the RGO's hydrophobicity/oleophilicity and photothermal property, the floating ability of MS, this study demonstrated the real-life applicability of RGO-MS composites for in-situ crude oil cleanup.

Keywords: 3D printing; Crude oil; Graphene; In situ; Photothermal; composite.

MeSH terms

  • Environmental Restoration and Remediation / methods*
  • Graphite / chemistry*
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Oxides
  • Petroleum / analysis*
  • Petroleum Pollution / analysis*
  • Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry

Substances

  • Oxides
  • Petroleum
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • graphene oxide
  • Water
  • Graphite