Synthesis of Novel Graphene-Based Porous Material from Waste

Graphene, a new-generation wonder material, is well-known for its exotic physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. It has gained excessive attention from material scientists and environmental engineers due to its versatile application in different fields of application like water purification, desalination, and treatment of industrial effluent. However, the synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) from graphite is an intensive process requiring harsh chemicals with complex chemical routes for synthesis, poor yield and high-end instrument facilities, which restricts mass production and, thus, large-scale applications. Hence, there is a need for an eco-friendly, low-cost, and simple fabrication process that can be used for large-scale applications. In order to mitigate the drawbacks of currently used synthesis methods, here we report a simple, scalable, cost-effective, and environment-friendly synthesis of oxidized graphene framework (OGF) produced from agro-waste. As compared to 2D graphene sheets, 3D graphene foams have attracted extensive attention due to their high porosity, uniform structure, chemical stability, and flexibility. Porous foam could be obtained for desired densities and shapes such as rods, cylinders, and papers. Therefore, we have developed porous OGF foam material, which is compressible and regains its shape and size after unloading. The developed material has been extensively characterized by Raman, XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM and XPS to confirm its successful synthesis with desired properties. Other than that, wetting and sorption studies have been performed with different types of organic compounds. This eco-friendly, cost-effective method of development of 3D graphene-based foam can lead to the solution of water purification, treatment of industrial wastewater, and recovery of organic solvents and oils.