Efficient removal of bisphenol-A from water and wastewater by Fe2O3-modified graphene oxide

Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been widely used as a plasticizer in modern society and persistently released into aquatic environments. Herein, a novel Fe2O3-graphene oxide (GO) hybrid containing 22.8% of GO was prepared to enhance BPA removal from contaminated water and wastewater. This hybrid material afforded outstanding BPA adsorption capacities of 3293.9 mg g(-1) under optimized conditions, which led to 1.9 times and 1.2 times of BPA removal as compared to GO and reduced GO (rGO), respectively. In addition, Fe2O3-GO showed higher thermal stability, greater solid/liquid separation performance, and better anti-fouling performance. Moreover, the coexistence of natural or effluent organic matter caused 6.7-16.8% decline in BPA adsorption capacity of Fe2O3-GO, which was lower than those of GO and rGO (11.8-39.4%). Further characterization experiments revealed that BPA removal by Fe2O3-GO was enhanced because of the formation of Lewis acid-base (AB) interactions between the active sites on Fe2O3 (Lewis base) and BPA anions (Lewis acid). The existence of the AB interaction is beneficial for practical application considering the low environmental concentrations of BPA in water and wastewater. Besides, the distinctly lowered GO content of the hybrid saved 77.2% of the adsorbent cost. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the potential of Fe2O3-GO as a novel material for the treatment of BPA-contaminated water and wastewater. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The Fe2O3-GO hybrid material demonstrated excellent BPA removal performance, higher thermal stability, and better anti-fouling properties, making it a promising material for the treatment of BPA-contaminated water and wastewater.