Facile preparation of nitrogen-doped graphene sponge as a highly efficient oil absorption material

A superoleophilic and hydrophobic Nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) sponge with three-dimensional (3 D) structure is fabricated through a facile hydrothermal method without further surface pretreatments or modification. The as-prepared NG exhibited a high specific surface area (132m2/g), low density (0.501cm3/g) and good porosity. Interestingly, NG demonstrated very strong absorption capacities (up to 200 times as its own weight) in a short time (5s) for a broad spectrum of oil and organic solvents with a good recyclability of 5 times. The research results suggest that practical application of NG in the field of spilled oil recovery is feasible, cost-effective and scalable.