AlOOH-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites: one-pot hydrothermal synthesis and their enhanced electrochemical activity for heavy metal ions.

This work described the preparation, characterization, and electrochemical behavior toward heavy metal ions of the AlOOH-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites. This new material was synthesized through a green one-pot hydrothermal method. The morphologic and structure of the nanocomposites were characterized using atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Electrochemical properties were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The chemical and electrochemical parameters that have influence on deposition and stripping of metal ions, such as pH value, deposition potential, and deposition time, were also studied. Due to the strong affinity of AlOOH to heavy metal ions and the fast electron-transfer kinetics of graphene, the combination of solid-phase extraction and stripping voltammetric analysis allowed fast and sensitive determination of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in drinking water, making these new nanocomposites promising candidates for practical applications in the fields of detecting heavy metal ions. Most importantly, these new nanocomposites may possess many unknown properties waiting to be explored.