Effective desalination by capacitive deionization with functional graphene nanocomposite as novel electrode material

In this work, functional graphene nanocomposite (reduced graphite oxidate-resol like material, named RGO-RF) was successfully synthesized and used as electrode in capacitive deionization (CDI) process. The porosity, morphology and electrochemical characteristics of RGO-RF were confirmed by N-2 adsorption-desorption curve, transmission electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry, respectively. Further, the deionization performances of the RGO-RF electrode, reduced graphite oxidate (RGO) and activated carbon (AC) were examined for comparison by a lab-scale CDI experimental system. It is found that the RGO-RF shows the best deionization performance among the three target materials, indicating that it is a novel electrode material which has a great potential as effective electrode for CDI. Besides, the electrosorption isotherms and electrosorption kinetics were studied, and it is found that the ion sorption behaviour of RGO-RF follows a Langmuir adsorption isotherm, implying monolayer adsorption. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[1]  Costas Tsouris,et al.  Electrosorption capacitance of nanostructured carbon aerogel obtained by cyclic voltammetry , 2003 .

[2]  Zhuo Sun,et al.  A comparative study on electrosorptive behavior of carbon nanotubes and graphene for capacitive deionization , 2011 .

[3]  Juergen Biener,et al.  Advanced carbon aerogels for energy applications , 2011 .

[4]  Kang L. Wang,et al.  A chemical route to graphene for device applications. , 2007, Nano letters.

[5]  Xiaowei Sun,et al.  Kinetic and isotherm studies on the electrosorption of NaCl from aqueous solutions by activated carbon electrodes , 2011 .

[6]  M. Al-Shammiri,et al.  Multi-effect distillation plants: state of the art , 1999 .

[7]  S. Banerjee,et al.  Large-Area Synthesis of High-Quality and Uniform Graphene Films on Copper Foils , 2009, Science.

[8]  Joseph C. Farmer,et al.  Capacitive Deionization of NaCl and NaNO3 Solutions with Carbon Aerogel Electrodes , 1996 .

[9]  M. Elimelech,et al.  The Future of Seawater Desalination: Energy, Technology, and the Environment , 2011, Science.

[10]  S. Prabaharan,et al.  High voltage electrochemical double layer capacitors using conductive carbons as additives , 2004 .

[11]  G. G. Stokes.  "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[12]  Linda Zou,et al.  Novel graphene-like electrodes for capacitive deionization. , 2010, Environmental science & technology.

[13]  Linda Zou,et al.  Using graphene nano-flakes as electrodes to remove ferric ions by capacitive deionization , 2010 .

[14]  R. Ruoff,et al.  Graphene-based ultracapacitors. , 2008, Nano letters.

[15]  H. Dai,et al.  Chemically Derived, Ultrasmooth Graphene Nanoribbon Semiconductors , 2008, Science.

[16]  W. S. Hummers,et al.  Preparation of Graphitic Oxide , 1958 .

[17]  Andre K. Geim,et al.  Electric Field Effect in Atomically Thin Carbon Films , 2004, Science.

[18]  Tammy Y. Olson,et al.  Synthesis of graphene aerogel with high electrical conductivity. , 2010, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[19]  Hiroshi Tanaka,et al.  Parametric investigation of a basin-type-multiple-effect coupled solar still , 2000 .

[20]  Won Il Cho,et al.  Capacitive deionization of NaCl solution with carbon aerogel-silicagel composite electrodes , 2005 .

[21]  Doron Aurbach,et al.  Capacitive Deionization of NaCl Solutions at Non-Steady-State Conditions: Inversion Functionality of the Carbon Electrodes , 2011 .

[22]  Huaihe Song,et al.  Ordered mesoporous carbons from the carbonization of sulfuric-acid-treated silica/triblock copolymer/sucrose composites , 2006 .

[23]  Jae-Hwan Choi,et al.  Enhanced desalination efficiency in capacitive deionization with an ion-selective membrane , 2010 .

[24]  Min-Woong Ryoo,et al.  Improvement in capacitive deionization function of activated carbon cloth by titania modification. , 2003, Water research.

[25]  S. Ogawa,et al.  Demineralization of sea water by electrodialysis , 1967 .

[26]  Dazhi Wang,et al.  Equilibrium and kinetic studies on the removal of NaCl from aqueous solutions by electrosorption on carbon nanotube electrodes , 2007 .

[27]  T. D. Tran,et al.  Electrosorption of inorganic salts from aqueous solution using carbon aerogels. , 2002, Environmental science & technology.

[28]  Boris Pilat,et al.  Practice of water desalination by electrodialysis , 2001 .

[29]  Yehia M. El-Sayed.  On the feasibility of large vapor-compression distillation units , 1996 .

[30]  Marc A. Anderson,et al.  Capacitive deionization as an electrochemical means of saving energy and delivering clean water. Comparison to present desalination practices: Will it compete? , 2010 .

[31]  Tony F. Heinz,et al.  Ultraflat graphene , 2009, Nature.

[32]  Linda Zou,et al.  Kinetics and thermodynamics study for electrosorption of NaCl onto carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers electrodes , 2010 .

[33]  Sheng Dai,et al.  Hierarchical ordered mesoporous carbon from phloroglucinol-glyoxal and its application in capacitive deionization of brackish water , 2010 .

[34]  C. F. Schutte,et al.  Capacitive Deionization Technology™: An alternative desalination solution , 2005 .

[35]  Zhuo Sun,et al.  Electrosorption behavior of graphene in NaCl solutions , 2009 .

[36]  Liyi Shi,et al.  NaCl adsorption in multi-walled carbon nanotube/active carbon combination electrode , 2006 .

[37]  Eric M.V. Hoek,et al.  A review of water treatment membrane nanotechnologies , 2011 .

[38]  Linda Zou,et al.  Using mesoporous carbon electrodes for brackish water desalination. , 2008, Water research.