Hydrophobic Pedicularis Kansuensis/graphene aerogel with solar thermal effect enables efficient removal of sulfadiazine and oil from water

Abstract

The contamination of water resources by organic pollutants is a significant factor contributing to the scarcity of water resources. Furthermore, the various forms and quantities of organic pollutants present a considerable challenge to their management and remediation. Antibiotics and oil are two typical organic pollutants in water, which have a serious impact on the environment and biological health. It is thus imperative to eradicate these two principal pollutants from the aquatic environment. The remediation of polluted water by adsorption represents an effective approach, with the adsorbent's performance determining the process's efficacy. In this study, Pedicularis Kansuensis/graphene aerogel (PKGA) was prepared, and its adsorption performance of sulfadiazine (SDZ) with low concentration and oil with high concentration was investigated. The results demonstrated that PKGA has good adsorption and removal ability for both SDZ and oil in water. The porous structure, hydrophobicity, and oleophilicity of PKGA facilitate the effective elimination of organic contaminants from aqueous media. The adsorption of SDZ by PKGA is an endothermic spontaneous process. The equilibrium adsorption of SDZ by PKGA increased with increasing temperature and the theoretical maximum equilibrium adsorption at 35 °C was 70.67 mg/g. Additionally, the adsorption capacity of PKGA for oil ranged from 51.27 to 120.71 g/g, indicating its potential for oil-water separation. Notably, PKGA, a representative carbon-based material, exhibits a photothermal effect that enhances its adsorption capabilities for removing SDZ and viscous oil from water. This study offers a novel perspective on organic pollutant adsorption and removal in water.