title: 3D Oxidized Graphene Frameworks for Efficient Nano Sieving.
abstract: The small size of Na(+) and Cl(-) ions provides a bottleneck in desalination and is a challenge in providing alternatives for continuously depleting fresh water resources. Graphene by virtue of its structural properties has the potential to address this issue. Studies have indicated that use of monolayer graphene can be used to filter micro volumes of saline solution. Unfortunately it is extremely difficult, resource intensive and almost impractical with current technology to fabricate operational devices using mono-layered graphene. Nevertheless, graphene based devices still hold the key to solve this problem due to its nano-sieving ability. Here we report synthesis of oxidized graphene frameworks and demonstrate a functional device to desalinate and purify seawater from contaminants including Na(+) and Cl(-) ions, dyes and other microbial pollutants. Micro-channels in these frameworks help in immobilizing larger suspended solids including bacteria, while nano-sieving through graphene enables the removal of dissolved ions (e.g. Cl(-)). Nano-sieving incorporated with larger frameworks has been used in filtering Na(+) and Cl(-) ions in functional devices.
authors.affiliation: Nanostructures Engineering and Modeling Laboratory, Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
authors.forename: Pranav Bhagwan
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Pawar
authors.affiliation: Nanostructures Engineering and Modeling Laboratory, Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.affiliation: Nanostructures Engineering and Modeling Laboratory, Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
authors.forename: Dhanashree Kamlesh
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Badhe
authors.affiliation: Nanostructures Engineering and Modeling Laboratory, Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
authors.forename: Raghvendra Pratap
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
authors.affiliation: Nanostructures Engineering and Modeling Laboratory, Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
authors.forename: Shobha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shukla
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D018508:Water Purification
chemical_list: D010087:Oxides; D006108:Graphite