Graphene sheets synthesized by ionic-liquid-assisted electrolysis for application in water purification

A facile and green synthesis of graphene sheets by ionic-liquid-assisted electrolysis was investigated in this work. The synthesized graphene sheets have been studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (Raman) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The obtained graphene was used for the adsorption of Fe2+ whose presence in the drinking water in wide areas of South Asia has been widely known. The result shows that the graphene could absorb Fe2+ with a capacity of 299.3 mg/g which is 6 times higher than that of graphite oxide. The adsorption properties of metal ions on graphene and the effects of various factors on the adsorption capacity were also investigated in detail. The research results suggest a novel material for developing highly efficient water purification materials for the developing economies. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.