Highly effective removal of Cu(II) by triethylenetetramine-magnetic reduced graphene oxide composite

In the present paper a new type of triethylenetetramine-magnetite reduced graphene oxide (TET-MRGO) composite showing a high adsorption capacity (209.1   mg   g −1 ) toward Cu(II) ions was prepared. The morphological, structural, and magnetic properties of TET-MRGO were characterized using infrared spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electronic Microscope, nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurement, Raman spectroscopy, and Transmission Electron Microscopy. TET-MRGO exhibits strong saturation magnetization (42.13   emu   g −1 ) and can be easily separated from aqueous solution by an external magnetic field. A series of batch adsorption experiments were systematically conducted to study the adsorption property of TET-MRGO. The high adsorption capacity, excellent selectivity, and effective adsorption–desorption results indicated the prepared TET-MRGO composite could be an effective adsorbent for removing Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution.