A perspective on graphene based aerogels and their environmental applications

Various developments are taking place in the field of environmental protection driven by the world today requirements and by the growing attention to the environment. Aerogels systems are for sure one of the most important novelties in the field thanks to their multiple properties and versatility. In this context graphene-based aerogels emerged as innovative devices characterized by large surface area, soft nature, mechanical resistance, responsive and selective behavior. These features have guaranteed them great recognition as sorbent material of contaminants of different nature, as well as smart systems for diagnostic and monitoring. The aim of this review is to focus on graphene-based aerogels fabrication and characteristics together with their unique characteristics in environmental protection, monitoring and safeguarding. In particular strong attention will be devoted on how even small variations on the aerogel formulation used can determine important effects on the real performances of these devices.