Graphene oxide/polydimethylsiloxane composite sponge for removing Pb(ii) from water.

An efficient adsorbent to remove Pb(ii) from water was prepared by treating polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponge with polyvinyl alcohol and then coating the sponge with graphene oxide (GO). The GO-PDMS sponge was highly hydrophilic, easily handled during and after use, and easily recycled. The kinetics and isotherms of Pb(ii) sorption onto the GO-PDMS sponge were investigated by performing batch sorption tests.