ASIPP Paper on Graphene Application is “Most Cited” Paper from Chinese Researchers

Recently, the ranking of the most highly-cited papers from Chinese researchers in environmental science field between 2011 and 2015 was unveiled. The paper from the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) entitled “Few-Layered Graphene Oxide Nanosheets as Superior Sorbents for Heavy Metal Ion Pollution Management” (Environmental Science & Technology, 2011, 45(24),10454-10462, cited by 355 times) ranked sixth. The bibliometric statistics was completed by the research group “Forefront analysis of world science development trend” in the National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences through the data base of Web of Science.  

Graphene is well-known for its high specific surface area, excellent irradiation resistance, thermostability and acid and alkali resistance. ASIPP scientists applied the few-layered graphene oxide nanosheets for the removal of heavy metal ions in aqueous solution, and found that the abundant oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of graphene oxide nanosheets play an important role on the metal sorption, and that the sorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. Spectrum technique and theoretic calculation were used to investigate the sorption mechanism. 

The research has largely extended the application of graphene and inspired more research work on the modification of graphene and its application in the environment remediation. 

The work received high evaluation from domestic and overseas counterparts. It has been cited and reported widely on famous international journals such as Chemical Reviews, Advanced Materials and Analytical Chemistry. (Wang Ying reports)