Controllable Synthesis of Tetraethylenepentamine Modified Graphene Foam (TEPA-GF) for the Removal of Lead ions

3D graphene foam for water purification has become pervasive recently, not only because it has high specific surface area for adsorption capacity, but also it is easily separated from solution after adsorption. However, it is still challenging because it is hard to improve the adsorption capacity as well as maintain the high mechanical strength. To overcome the challenge, Tetraethylenepentamine modified Graphene Foam (TEPA-GF) was synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method by using GO and TEPA as raw materials. TEPA acted as both cross-linker to combine GO sheets together and reductant of GO during hydrothermal process. Results indicated that the resultant hydrogel’s formation was highly dependent on the mass ratio of TEPA to GO, they cross-linked into a stable hydrogel with perfect cylindrical only when M(TEPA): M(GO) ≥ 1. What’s more, the highest mechanical strength of GF happened at the mass ratio of M(TEPA): M(GO) = 3, which was up to 0.58 kPa. It was worth noting that TEPA-GF demonstrated high adsorption capacity for lead ions, which reached as high as 304.9 mg g(−1), much higher than that of other absorbents. Furthermore, TEPA-GF was easily separated from water after adsorption of Pb(2+), making it a great potential material for water purification.