One-pot synthesis of magnetic graphene oxide composites as an efficient and recoverable adsorbent for Cd(II) and Pb(II) removal from aqueous solution

It is extremely desirable but challenging to develop a facile synthesis method to directly prepare reusable and longtime stable magnetic graphene oxide (GO) adsorbent. Here, a new approach to prepare a magnetic GO for removing the heavy metal ions is reported by using n-Propyltrimethoxysilane (NPTS) as a cross-coupling agent to connect Fe3O4/SiO2 and GO. The as-prepared magnetic GO can be separated quickly from their aqueous solution by the permanent magnet and also exhibited excellent adsorption performance for Cd(II) and Pb(II) with maximum adsorption capacities for Cd(II) and Pb(II) to 128.2 and 385.1 mg/g under neutral conditions, respectively. The presence of other ions such as Na(I) and K(I), had little influence on the Cd(II) and Pb(II) removal efficiency. Moreover, the as-prepared Fe3O4/SiO2-GO adsorbents can be recycled and exhibited good reproducibility. Thus, the magnetic GO adsorbents are effective materials for the removal of heavy metal ions and thus could offer a new platform for water cleanup.