title: Sorption of carbamazepine by commercial graphene oxides: a comparative study with granular activated carbon and multiwalled carbon nanotubes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Graphene nanosheet materials represent a potentially new high surface area sorbent for the treatment of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in water. However, sorption behavior has been reported only for laboratory graphene prepared by a laborious and hazardous graphite exfoliation process. A careful examination of commercially available, clean, high-volume produced graphene materials should reveal whether they are appropriate for sorbent technologies and which physicochemical properties most influence sorption performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, three commercially available graphene oxide powders of various particle sizes, specific surface areas, and surface chemistries were evaluated for their sorption performance using carbamazepine and nine other EDCs and were compared to that of conventional granular activated carbon (GAC) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sorption kinetics of carbamazepine on graphene oxide powders was rapid and reversible with alcohol washing, consistent with π-π interactions. The various sorption extents as described by Freundlich isotherms were best explained by available surface area, and only the highest surface area graphene oxide (771 m(2)/g) out-performed GAC and MWCNTs. Increasing pH caused more negative surface charge, a twofold decrease in sorption of anionic ibuprofen, a onefold increase in sorption of cationic atenolol, and no change for neutral carbamazepine, highlighting the role of electrostatic interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: cai.n@husky.neu.edu.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: p.laresecasanova@neu.edu.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Larese-Casanova
mesh_terms: D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000737:chemistry*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D011208:Powders; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010087:Oxides; D011208:Powders; D002220:Carbamazepine; D002244:Carbon; D006108:Graphite
keywords: Carbamazepine; Endocrine disrupting compounds; Freundlich isotherm; Graphene; Sorption processes; Water treatment