{"title":"Surface-coating of gamma-assisted reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on natural rubber foam (NRF) for enhanced oil adsorption performance","authors":"Manchusa Chinnawet , Ekachai Wimolmala , Pattra Lertsarawut , Kiadtisak Saenboonruang","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2025.106490","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oil pollution poses a serious threat to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, necessitating the need for efficient, reusable, and eco-friendly sorbent materials. To address this challenge, the present study investigated the coating of natural rubber foam (NRF) with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to enhance oil adsorption capacity and mechanical durability, with polylactic acid (PLA) utilized as a binding agent to impro<em>v</em>e interfacial adhesion between NRF and rGO. The sorbents were fabricated by sequentially coating NRF with an optimized 2 % (<em>w</em>/<em>v</em>) PLA solution and rGO with varying contents (0–5 % w/v). The rGO was synthesized by gamma irradiation of graphene oxide (GO) at doses ranging from 0 to 65 kGy, in which 45 kGy was identified as the optimal dose for effective removal of oxygen-containing functional groups. The results also demonstrated that PLA coating substantially improved the adhesion of rGO to the foam surface, as evidenced by lower rGO detachment during water immersion and enhanced oil adsorption performance. Furthermore, the rGO-coated NRF samples exhibited increases in oil adsorption capacities—79 % for diesel, 88 % for benzene, 71 % for lubricant, and 57 % for palm oil—compared to pristine NRF, with adsorption performance reaching a plateau and optimal condition at 3 % (<em>w</em>/<em>v</em>) rGO. The reusability tests also confirmed the durability of the developed sorbents, with approximately 85 % of the initial adsorption capacity retained over five to six adsorption–desorption cycles. Overall, this study highlighted the potential of gamma-assisted rGO synthesis for the development of high-performance and sustainable oil sorbents for environmental remediation applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 106490"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1381514825003426","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, APPLIED","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Oil pollution poses a serious threat to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, necessitating the need for efficient, reusable, and eco-friendly sorbent materials. To address this challenge, the present study investigated the coating of natural rubber foam (NRF) with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to enhance oil adsorption capacity and mechanical durability, with polylactic acid (PLA) utilized as a binding agent to improve interfacial adhesion between NRF and rGO. The sorbents were fabricated by sequentially coating NRF with an optimized 2 % (w/v) PLA solution and rGO with varying contents (0–5 % w/v). The rGO was synthesized by gamma irradiation of graphene oxide (GO) at doses ranging from 0 to 65 kGy, in which 45 kGy was identified as the optimal dose for effective removal of oxygen-containing functional groups. The results also demonstrated that PLA coating substantially improved the adhesion of rGO to the foam surface, as evidenced by lower rGO detachment during water immersion and enhanced oil adsorption performance. Furthermore, the rGO-coated NRF samples exhibited increases in oil adsorption capacities—79 % for diesel, 88 % for benzene, 71 % for lubricant, and 57 % for palm oil—compared to pristine NRF, with adsorption performance reaching a plateau and optimal condition at 3 % (w/v) rGO. The reusability tests also confirmed the durability of the developed sorbents, with approximately 85 % of the initial adsorption capacity retained over five to six adsorption–desorption cycles. Overall, this study highlighted the potential of gamma-assisted rGO synthesis for the development of high-performance and sustainable oil sorbents for environmental remediation applications.
期刊介绍:
Reactive & Functional Polymers provides a forum to disseminate original ideas, concepts and developments in the science and technology of polymers with functional groups, which impart specific chemical reactivity or physical, chemical, structural, biological, and pharmacological functionality. The scope covers organic polymers, acting for instance as reagents, catalysts, templates, ion-exchangers, selective sorbents, chelating or antimicrobial agents, drug carriers, sensors, membranes, and hydrogels. This also includes reactive cross-linkable prepolymers and high-performance thermosetting polymers, natural or degradable polymers, conducting polymers, and porous polymers.
Original research articles must contain thorough molecular and material characterization data on synthesis of the above polymers in combination with their applications. Applications include but are not limited to catalysis, water or effluent treatment, separations and recovery, electronics and information storage, energy conversion, encapsulation, or adhesion.