Insight into the removal of graphene oxide by nanoscale zero-valent iron

Graphene oxide (GO) and nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI), two of the most widely used nanomaterials, may come into contact with each other after their application in environmental remediation. To assess the role of nZVI in the environmental behavior of GO, the removal of GO by nZVI as a function of physicochemical properties of nZVI (i.e., initial concentration of nZVI, nZVI nanoparticle size and Fe dissolution) and solution chemistry (i.e., pH, ionic strength and cation type) is conducted by using batch experiments. The results indicate that nZVI can promote the aggregation of GO depending on the particle size and concentration of nZVI at pH