Silver nanowires interlocked graphene aerogel for ultra-high efficient clearage of oil pollution on water

Abstract Graphene aerogel (GA) with high porosity and high affinity towards organics has been considered as promising material for the treatment of petroleum pollution in ocean. Compared with other liquid absorbers, the solid GA monolith exhibits advantages in fast absorption speed, high capacity and low regeneration cost. Herein, inspired by ancient cob wall manufacturing skill, we report the facile fabrication of robust graphene aerogel interlocked by silver nanowires (Ag NWs@GA) to form a robust GA composite. This composite not only preserved high porosity designated by graphene sheets but also enhanced the structural stability the evenly dispersed Ag nanowires across the 3D monolith. The preparation process is convenient and suitable for scalable fabrication. We found that this Ag NWs@GA exhibited high tolerance for repeatedly absorption and desorption of oils on water with high weight capacity of 8100% compared with its own weight, showing promising applications in environmental fields.