Preparation optimization of chitosan/graphene oxide aerogels: Tailoring of dye adsorption ability and mechanical properties

Chitosan (CS)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite aerogels have been prepared by freeze-drying and investigated as possible adsorbents for the removal of water-soluble dyes. The preparation procedure has been optimized in terms of CS and GO mixing procedure, crosslinking conditions and freezing protocol. The ultimate goal is to properly select the process-related parameters in order to maximize the performances of the CS/GO aerogels, specifically focusing on dye uptake capacity and mechanical properties. The obtained results suggest that the fine tuning of the preparation process allows to efficiently combine the ability of chitosan in binding anionic species and the capacity of GO nanoparticles of adsorbing cationic pollutants. In addition, compression tests reveal that the composite aerogels exhibit improved mechanical properties, which is highly attractive from a practical point of view since facilitate their handling and recovery after the adsorption process.