Nitrogen-doped graphene oxide for effectively removing boron ions from seawater.

Title Nitrogen-doped graphene oxide for effectively removing boron ions from seawater.
Authors F. Chen; L. Guo; X. Zhang; Z.Yi Leong; S. Yang; H.Ying Yang
Journal Nanoscale
DOI 10.1039/c6nr07448k
Abstract

Elemental boron exists in the form of boric acid or borate salts in aqueous solution. The human body is very sensitive to the amount of boron, and boron contamination in drinking water affects our health adversely. However, boron is not easily removed due to its small ionic size and is a problem to water treatment systems. Herein, we report a new method to remove boron using nitrogen-doped graphene oxide (N-GO). The maximum adsorption capacity we have obtained is 58.7 mg g(-1) and this makes N-GO one of the best materials to adsorb boron. Real seawater with 5 mg L(-1) as boron is used as a feed for testing and the absorption capacity is shown to be up to 2.42 mg g(-1). This high adsorption capacity is mainly attributed to the large amount of hydroxyl groups distributed across the high surface area of graphene oxide and the enhanced adsorption that results from nitrogen-doped sites. Once N-GO is saturated with boron ions, it can be easily regenerated via acid treatment. Our proposed technique has high commercial value and we believe that it is very valuable to the water treatment industry.

Citation F. Chen; L. Guo; X. Zhang; Z.Yi Leong; S. Yang; H.Ying Yang.Nitrogen-doped graphene oxide for effectively removing boron ions from seawater.. Nanoscale. 2017;9(1):326333. doi:10.1039/c6nr07448k

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Boron

See more Boron products. Boron Bohr ModelBoron (atomic symbol: B, atomic number: 5) is a Block P, Group 13, Period 2 element with an atomic weight of 10.81. The number of electrons in each of boron's shells is 2, 3 and its electron configuration is [He] 2s2 2p1. The boron atom has a radius of 90 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 192 pm. Boron was discovered by Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis Jacques Thénard in 1808 and was first isolated by Humphry Davy later that year. Boron is classified as a metalloid is not found naturally on earth. Elemental BoronAlong with carbon and nitrogen, boron is one of the few elements in the periodic table known to form stable compounds featuring triple bonds. Boron has an energy band gap of 1.50 to 1.56 eV, which is higher than that of either silicon or germanium. The name Boron originates from a combination of carbon and the Arabic word buraqu meaning borax.

Carbon

See more Carbon products. Carbon (atomic symbol: C, atomic number: 6) is a Block P, Group 14, Period 2 element. Carbon Bohr ModelThe number of electrons in each of Carbon's shells is 2, 4 and its electron configuration is [He]2s2 2p2. In its elemental form, carbon can take various physical forms (known as allotropes) based on the type of bonds between carbon atoms; the most well known allotropes are diamond, graphite, amorphous carbon, glassy carbon, and nanostructured forms such as carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, and nanofibers . Carbon is at the same time one of the softest (as graphite) and hardest (as diamond) materials found in nature. It is the 15th most abundant element in the Earth's crust, and the fourth most abundant element (by mass) in the universe after hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. Carbon was discovered by the Egyptians and Sumerians circa 3750 BC. It was first recognized as an element by Antoine Lavoisier in 1789.

Nitrogen

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