Magnetically actuated graphene coated polyurethane foam as potential sorbent for oils and organics

Abstract

Herein, we present Graphene-meso Iron Oxide composite incorporated Polyurethane foam (GPUF) as an elite sorbent for organic contaminants and oils. Anchoring Graphene-meso Iron Oxide composite switches Polyurethane foam to a super hydrophobic and super oleophilic moiety. Detailed structural, microscopic and wettability studies point the cooperative effect of the 3D porous polyurethane scaffold and the effect of Graphene-mesoporous Iron oxide composite on the adsorption dynamics. Benefitting from the hierarchical porous structure and heterogeneity, the as-fabricated sponge manifested superior selective adsorption capacity for a wide variety of oils and organic pollutants in the range 90–316 gg−1. Application of GPUF was demonstrated by the quick and selective removal of oils from water under magnetic field. In addition to this, the adsorbate can be released after sorption by simple squeezing without any deterioration in structure and performance, underlining the recyclability of the sorbent for over 150 cycles. Moreover, GPUF manifests appealing adsorption capacity in complex environments also. The results of the study promise a novel sorbent which can be easily scaled up for large scale treatment of oil spills. Keywords: Graphene, Oil adsorbent, Magnetic actuation