Engineering Radioprotective Remediation Ensemble: BiVO4/Graphene Aerogel Hybrid for Contaminant Purification and Synergistic Attenuation of Ionizing Radiation

Abstract Graphene-based hybrid aerogels represent a versatile class of lightweight porous materials with tunable networks and mechanical stability, making them promising candidates for diverse applications. In this study, pristine BiVO4 (BV), BiVO4/GO aerogel (ABV), and Prussian blue-immobilized PB@BiVO4/GO aerogel (PABV) were systematically evaluated for electrochemical sensing, radiation attenuation, and shielding. The comprehensive physicochemical analysis indicated successful incorporation of Prussian blue (PB) and BiVO4 into the graphene oxide structure. For instance, SEM analysis revealed that the pristine BiVO4 surface exhibits an irregular spherical morphology, while hybrid aerogel displays heterogeneous distribution with BiVO4 particles dispersed randomly in ABV and both Prussian blue and BiVO4 anchored onto an interconnected graphene oxide (GO) framework. The prepared PABV hybrids were used as electrocatalysts to detect furazolidone (FZD), which results in an LOD of 9.014 nM with a wide linear range from 0.01 to 447.2 μM. Additionally, dose-absorption behavior of BV, ABV, and PABV under graded X-ray and gamma ray irradiation conditions (0−50 Gy) was analyzed. PABV exhibited a balanced attenuation profile and sustained suppression across higher dose intervals, highlighting its sensitivity to control fall-off at elevated energy levels. Linear and mass attenuation coefficients of BV, ABV, and PABV further confirmed the superior efficiency per unit mass of PABV. Therefore, integration of redox-active PB with BiVO4, which possesses a high atomic number (Z), renders PABV the most versatile graphene-based hybrid aerogel in this study.