Recent progress on adsorption and membrane separation for organic contaminants on multi-dimensional graphene

Graphene, a two-dimensional (2D) layered nanomaterial, which has attracted great attention in the environmental field due to its excellent physical and chemical properties, including easily modified surface characteristics, tunable structure, and excellent stability. However, the inherent problems of nanomaterials, such as serious aggregation, difficulty in recycling, and potential ecological risks, have severely hindered the large-scale application of graphene. Therefore, immobilization of nanomaterials into macroscopic structures is one of the most feasible strategies to solve these problems, which is of great significance to promote the progress of nano-water treatment chemistry and technology. With the deepening of related studies, diverse dimensional graphene materials with large specific surface area, internal interconnected porous network and novel functionalities have been successively developed. Herein, we review the structural characteristics and synthesis methods of multi-dimensional graphene materials and highlight some examples with impressive and unique properties. Furthermore, we specifically emphasize their removal performance and mechanisms for organic contaminants in adsorption and membrane separation. Finally, the future outlooks, research directions and foreseeable challenges in this filed are summarized and prospected as concluding remarks based on our understanding. • Properties and preparation techniques of graphene and its derivatives were discussed. • Synthesis process of multi-dimensional graphene materials were systematically introduced. • Adsorption and membrane separation of multi-dimensional graphene were reviewed. • Research directions and foreseeable challenges in this field are summarized and prospected.