Nano-networks have better adsorption capability than nano-rods

Ion beam bombardment, as a unique and facile technique, was found and developed to fabricate nano-networks from rigid nano-rods. To study the differences of their characteristics, attapulgite (ATP) was chosen as a model. The results of methylene blue adsorption performance investigation demonstrated that attapulgite nano-networks (ATP-N) have better adsorption capability than the attapulgite nano-rods (ATP-R). The mechanism proposed that, compared with nano-rods, nano-networks exhibited larger interspace, better separation, higher pore-size and porosity and higher BET specific surface area due to the microstructure of complex three-dimensional networks caused by physical crosslinking, through a series of analysis of the scanning electron microscopy, BET surface area and X-ray powder diffraction.