Sulfur-free exfoliated graphite with large exfoliated volume: Preparation, characterization and its adsorption performance

Sulfur-free exfoliated graphite (EG) with large exfoliated volume (760 mL g−1) was prepared through chemical oxidation, followed by microwave exfoliation. SEM results indicated that well-developed network pores in the worm-like structure of EG could be clearly observed. XPS results displayed that some functional groups were yielded on the surface of the as-prepared EG. Moreover, the capacity of EG was evaluated by the adsorption of rodamine B and 4-chlorophenol aqueous solution. Results showed that EG exhibited high adsorption capacity for RhB and 4-CP, which could be attributed to the functional groups and well-developed network pores in the worm-like EG.