Adsorption of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Graphene and Graphene Oxide Nanosheets

The adsorption of naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene onto graphene (GNS) and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets was investigated to probe the potential adsorptive sites and molecular mechanisms. The microstructure and morphology of GNS and GO were characterized by elemental analysis, XPS, FTIR, Raman, SEM, and TEM. Graphene displayed high affinity to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), whereas GO adsorption was significantly reduced after oxygen-containing groups were attached to GNS surfaces. An unexpected peak was found in the curve of adsorption coefficients (Kd) with the PAH equilibrium concentrations. The hydrophobic properties and molecular sizes of the PAHs affected the adsorption of G and GO.…