Bifunctional graphene oxide-cellulose nanofibril aerogel loaded with Fe(III) for the removal of cationic dye via simultaneous adsorption and Fenton oxidation

A highly porous cellulose nanofibril (CNF) aerogel loaded with graphene oxide-iron(III) (GO-Fe) nanocomposites was produced and used for the treatment of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. The CNF aerogel serves as an adsorbent for the dye, while the GO-Fe nanocomposites play a role in the decomposition of the dye via the Fenton oxidation reaction. The aerogel exhibits rapid adsorption performance (less than 10 min) for removing MB, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 142.3 mg g(-1). On the side of enhancing the MB removal, the GO in the GO-CNF nanocomposite aerogel was loaded with 1 wt% of Fe(III) to perform as a catalyst for the Fenton oxidation reaction. The MB continues to decolorize by 30.4% more after 24 h of the reaction process. Moreover, by performing Fenton oxidation for adsorbent regeneration, the adsorption capacity for nanocomposite adsorption was reduced by 52.2% after five cycles of adsorption-oxidation.