LAUSR

Abstract Based on a green solvent system, i.e., NaOH/urea mixture, N-doped, hierarchically structured carbon aerogels were fabricated from mixtures of cellulosic solution and graphene oxide. The surface morphology of cellulose-graphene oxide carbon aerogel (CGOCA) was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and specific surface area and the pore size distribution were evaluated by N2 isothermal adsorption-desorption test. Physical and chemical structures of CGOCA were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, and an elemental analyzer. The performance of CGOCA in removing Cu (II) in aqueous solution was evaluated as well. The results show that CGOCA is rich in macropores, mesopores, and micropores, and CGOCA-700 presents with a high specific area of 954.8 m2/g. The CGOCA has a high efficiency in adsorption of Cu (II) with a maximum amount of 45.525 mg/g.