Thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the adsorption of 4-nitrophenol on graphene from aqueous solution

Graphene is a newly discovered material and is considered to be the new wonder material for many applications. The recent possibility of obtaining pure and fully characterized graphene opens the door to the study of the adsorption of toxic materials on graphene. The adsorption behavior of p-nitrophenol on graphene was studied in aqueous medium. The effect of each of pH, temperature, and dosage was emphasized. The highest calculated adsorption capacity of 4-nitrophenol was found to be 15.5 mg/g, assuming Langmuir fitting starting from 11.1 mg/g initial concentration at 298 K and pH = 6. Fitting the data using the Freundlich isotherm model predicted a favorable adsorption process (n > 1). The rise and saturation areas of the isotherms were fitted as pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order processes, respectively, with relatively good fit (k(1) = 0.0023/s, k(2) = 0.68 g mg(-1) s(-1)). The thermodynamic properties indicated a spontaneous and exothermic process.