Adsorptive Removal of Pollutants Using Graphene-based Materials for Water Purification

Adsorption methods have been employed for pollution control as well as cleanup all around the world. Composite materials have been the most suitable candidates for high-standard adsorption systems. So also, when merged with graphene or its derivatives, they become very effective candidates for adsorbing environmental contaminants found in water. The combined effect of graphene oxide, as well as its engineered material nanostructures (hybrids, composites, etc.), has also been shown to significantly contribute to the adsorption of heavy metals, toxic organic chemicals (colorants, diverse volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, chemical fertilizer, drugs), as well as other suspended particles pollutants of water, particularly industrial effluents. The broad surfaces of graphene oxide's derivatives and nanocomposites are bonded with a variety of reactionary oxygen-containing functionalities, giving them exceptional stability and adsorption efficiency in an aqueous environment. This also enables them to be recycled for numerous adsorption–desorption cycles. The present chapter discusses all of these graphene-based materials, their adsorption phenomena, and their application to water to cleanse and purify it.