Graphene oxide-tripolyphosphate hybrid used as a potent sorbent for cationic dyes

Graphene oxide-tripolyphosphate material (GPM) was synthesized through an ethanolamine (EA) mediated graphene oxide (GO) self-assembly. The synthesis route to GPM is simple and benign. GPM was composed of GO nanosheets as building blocks and the tripolyphosphate as cross-linkers and chelators of cations in solutions. GPM showed higher potency for adsorption of cationic dyes than anionic dyes, and the adsorption process was through electrostatic and π-π interactions. Adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic, and the adsorption capacity of GPM for cationic dyes (>2540 mg g−1) far exceeded those reported in literature for GO materials.