Multi-crosslinked robust alginate/polyethyleneimine modified graphene aerogel for efficient organic dye removal

Polymer composite aerogel holds great promise for sewage treatment. Here, a novel triply crosslinked alginate/graphene aerogel for efficient organic dye removal was reported. The triple crosslinking of aerogel was realized firstly by the association between in-situ released Ca2+ ions and sodium alginate (SA). And the electrostatic attraction between polyethyleneimine-modified reduced graphene oxide (PEI-RGO) and the alginate chain provides an additional boost to crosslinking the aerogel. Moreover, the hydrogen bonding between PEI and SA also helps in achieving the crosslinking of the aerogel. Thus, the robust triply crosslinked alginate/graphene aerogel was obtained with using cost-effective precursors and a straightforward process. Additionally, the as-prepared aerogels were employed to remove the cationic dyes from wastewater. It was found that the porous alginate/graphene exhibited a strong affinity to methylene blue (MB) and neutral red (NR). The adsorption process of the aerogel towards MB was in accordance with the Langmuir isothermal model and pseudo-second-order model, and the maximum theoretical adsorption capacities were 1091.9 and 813.2 mg g−1, suggesting its potential application in sewage treatment.