The development of a nanocolloidal graphene-derived material for water purification and remediation

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Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. (Zenyatta) is developing a large deposit of igneous-related high-purity natural graphite.**The higher quality of graphite offers a market advantage over other companies in graphene production. In**order to satisfy market needs and expand the marketability of Zenyatta's products, the company is evaluating**new high-volume industrial graphene applications. The use of graphene for a water purification and**remediation is a promising application of this material. Zenyatta has attempted to use graphene oxide for water**purification, however to date it has not been successful.**The proposed research project aims at the exploration and development of graphene-derived material for the**purification of water from heavy metal contaminations and wastewater remediation. Recently, the applicant's**group has proposed a new nanocolloidal material derived from graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and cellulose**nanocrystals (CNCs). This material offers many advantages in water purification from heavy metal ions, i.e.,**sustainability, non-toxicity, low cost, large and tunable pore size for mass transport of water and metal ions,**and the capability to be recycled.**The key components of the proposed research include (i) the preparation of GQDs from Zenyatta graphite,**modification of GQDs with amino groups, and characterization of GQD properties; (ii) the modification of the**CNC surface with aldehyde groups and characterization of CNC properties; (iii) preparation and**characterization of GQD-CNC hydrogels; (iv) a study of the scavenging efficiency of the GQD-CNC hydrogels**for heavy metal ions. The project described in the present proposal will lead to the development of a new**technology that will enable effective purification of water from heavy metal contaminations and wastewater**remediation, thereby enhancing the potential for manufacturing, licensing and other commercial activities by