Investigation of dodecane in three-dimensional porous graphene sponge by Raman mapping

Three-dimensional (3D) carbon nano-materials, e.g. a graphene sponge (GS) are promising candidates for the removal of pollutants and the separation of oil and water. A systematic study on how oils or organic solvents disperse in the porous structures of 3D carbon nano-materials, and the factors affecting their sorption process, would be beneficial for designing a superior sorbent with desirable porous structures. Here, confocal Raman spectroscopic imaging was utilized to explore the absorption and desorption processes of dodecane (a constituent in petroleum products) in 3D porous GS with different pore size. It was found that dodecane predominately locates within the interior pores composed of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets, which provide storage spaces for the absorbed molecules. The larger pore GS has a higher absorption capacity and faster desorption rate compared to the smaller one, which is due to the higher pore volume and weaker interaction with the absorbed molecules. A possible mechanism was also proposed to explain the role of porous macrostructures on the absorption and desorption properties of GSs.