Surfactant-assisted fabrication of 3D Prussian blue-reduced graphene oxide hydrogel as a self-propelling motor for water treatment

Abstract

Three-dimensional Prussian blue-reduced graphene oxide hydrogel was synthesized with the assistance of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) through a facile hydrothermal method. The hydrogel exhibited strong mechanical properties and was successfully applied as a self-propelling motor for water treatment. During the self-propelling degradation process, SDS facilitated the rapid liberation of oxygen bubbles from the motor and the oxygen bubbles assisted the rapid diffusion of hydroxyl radicals. In addition, the well-defined structure increased the number of reaction sites and the synergy between reduced graphene oxide and Prussian blue, which accelerated the degradation efficiency. The self-propelling motor had an average velocity of 0.026 ± 0.013 cm s⁻¹ in 7.5% H₂O₂ and 0.069 ± 0.032 cm s⁻¹ in 22.5% H₂O₂. Moreover, the self-propelling motor maintained high degradation efficiency even after cycling for 9 times. These excellent properties make the self-propelling motor an ideal candidate for water treatment.