Thermal reduction of graphene-oxide-coated cotton for oil and organic solvent removal

[Display omitted] •A new method for preparation of reduced-graphene-oxide (RGO) coated cotton is proposed.•The RGO-Cotton composites were carefully characterized using many modern techniques.•RGO-Cotton exhibited superhydrophobicity and superolephilicity.•RGO-Cotton sponges can absorb many types of oils and organic solvents and can be recycled. The reduced-graphene-oxide (RGO)-coated cotton sponge (RGO-Cot) was prepared by simply heating a graphene-oxide (GO)-coated cotton sponge, which was fabricated by dipping a commercial cotton sponge into a GO dispersion, under vacuum at 200°C for 2h. The thus prepared RGO-Cot sponges exhibited superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity, with a water contact angle of 151°. These RGO-Cot sponges could be used for removal of many types of oils and organic solvents as they exhibit absorption capacities in the range of 22–45 times their weight and good absorption recyclability.