Superhydrophobic and superoleophilic graphene aerogel prepared by facile chemical reduction

Abstract

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.