Amphiphilic engineering of reduced graphene oxides using a carbon nitride coating for superior removal of organic pollutants from wastewater

Amphiphilic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) was decorated onto reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to obtain rGO-g-C₃N₄ composites as excellent adsorbents for the removal of aromatic organic compounds from industrial wastewater. The as obtained rGO-g-C₃N₄ composites are effective adsorbents for organic compounds due to the amphiphilic g-C₃N₄. We propose a new adsorption model using an amphiphilic additive which can enhance the water accessibility and hydrophobic interactions between rGO with organic compounds in aqueous media. Where, even water-soluble organic molecules like rhodamine B (RhB) have a high adsorption capability for the rGO-g-C₃N₄ (520 mg g⁻¹). Molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the interactions between RhB and rGO-g-C₃N₄ and indicated that amphiphilic g-C₃N₄ accelerates the adsorption process. In addition, the amphipathic adsorption approach is enhanced as the salinity of water increases, which can offer great operational flexibility and versatility. This research demonstrates that the highly efficient interactions between aromatic organic molecules and amphiphilic carbon-based nanomaterials can be used for practical applications.