Hydrothermal reduction of graphene oxide by glucose for the preparation of graphene/polyester staple sponge and its applications in oil spill cleanup

Graphene/polyester staple sponge (GPSS) is a high-performance adsorbent for the cleanup of crude oil spill, but the use of hydrazine hydrate as the reducing agent for the preparation of GPSS is not friendly to the environment. Herein, we reported that graphene oxide/polyester staple composite could be hydrothermally reduced by bioresource glucose to prepare GPSS of similar performance. GPSS could be applied in the absorption of oils and organic solvents thanks to its large pore volume and hydrophobicity. The absorption capacity of the novel glucose-reduced GPSS was competitive to those of the most effective absorbents for oil spill cleanup. The used GPSS could be easily regenerated by soaking in ethanol to remove the absorbed oil. The green synthesis, high oil absorption performance and easy recycling of the glucose-reduced GPSS make it a good candidate for cleaning oil spills.