Preparation of graphene oxide-polymer composite hydrogels via thiol-ene photopolymerization as efficient dye adsorbents for wastewater treatment

The design and self-assembly of graphene oxide (GO)-based hierarchical composite gels have attracting numerous attentions due to wide applications in nanomaterial and environmental fields. In this research work, a facile strategy is demonstrated to prepare chemically modified graphene oxide-poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (GO-PEG) composite hydrogels by thiol-ene photopolymerization. The photopolymerization process between thiol groups on GO surface and ene segments in soluble PEG derivatives is critically predominant for the formation of composite hydrogels. The obtained composite hydrogels show good removal capacities and fit in pseudo-second-order model for used three model dyes. Thus, the present obtained GO-PEG composite hydrogels constructed by thiol-ene photopolymerization via eco-friendly prepared manner demonstrate new clues for preparing GO-based composite hydrogels and soft matter towards wastewater treatment applications.