The relatively low surface area and micropore volume of graphene nanosheets (GNS) limit their potential application as effective adsorbents for hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs). In this study, KOH etching was used to develop activated GNS (K-GNS) for adsorption of model HOCs such as naphthalene, phenol, nitrobenzene, and bisphenol A. After activation, the specific surface area (SSA) of K-GNS increased to 885 m2/g, which was three times larger than that of GNS. The micropore volume of K-GNS substantially increased and the C/O ratio was doubled. Accordingly, the adsorption capacity of these HOCs on K-GNS was larger than that of pristine GNS (P-GNS) by 2-8 times. The kinetic data was fitted by the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption isotherms of HOCs on P-GNS and K-GNS were fitted by the Freundlich model. The desorption studies showed the K-GNS had a lower rate of release than P-GNS. The high adsorption of naphthalene, phenol, nitrobenzene, and bisphenol A on P-GNS and K-GNS is dominated by hydrophobic and π-π interactions. Additionally, the π-π EDA interaction and hydrogen bond between K-GNS and substituents cannot be ignored.
Keywords: Adsorption; Graphene nanosheets; Hydrophobic organic contaminants; KOH etching.