Removal of heavy metals using Amine crosslinked Reduced Graphene Oxide Cadiam Mohan Babu 1,2 , Rajangam Vinodh 1,2 , Aziz Abidov 1,2 , Rramaswamy Ravikumar 1,2 , Mei Mei Peng 1,2 , Wang Seog Cha 2,3 and Hyun-Tae Jang 1,2 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanseo University, Seosan 360-706, South Korea 2 Korea Carbon Capture and Sequestration R and D Centre, 360 Daegok-ri, Haemi-myun, Seosan-si 356 706, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea 3 School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Kunsan National University, Kunsan 573- 701, South Korea E-mail: htjang@hanseo.ac.kr; Fax: +82-041-688-4143; Tel: +82-041-660-1423 Abstract. Graphene oxide was synthesized by modified Hummers method and then reduced with hydrazine hydrate to obtain reduced graphene oxide. (3- aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane used as a precursor for amine functionalized reduced graphene oxide. The amine functionalized nanoparticles were characterized using FT-IR, TGA, Raman, N 2 sorption, SEM and TEM techniques. The surface area was found to be 346 m 2 /g due to functionalization of amine over reduced graphene oxide. The amine functionalized nanoparticles were used as adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution. The adsorption of heavy metal was high for the reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites when compared to bare amine functionalized nanoparticles. The maximum adsorption reached within fifteen minutes. Keywords: Reduced Graphene Oxide, Amine Functionalized, Heavy metals and Nanocomposites. 1 Introduction Water is one of the basic needs required for sustaining healthy life. It is therefore not a surprise that water has occupied an important position in the activities of mankind. With the development of industrialization and urbanization, water utilization has increased double every fifteen years [1]. Due to the industrialization the water is contaminated by various contaminants in that heavy metal plays a vital role. A heavy metal is any metal or metalloid of environmental concern. The word specified with reference to the harmful effects of lead, mercury and cadmium, all of which are denser than iron. It has also been applied to other toxic metal, or metalloid such as arsenic. Heavy metals “can bind to vital cellular components, such as structural proteins, nucleic acids and enzymes, and interfere with their routine functioning”. Heavy metals are very dangerous, unlike organic contaminants, they are non- biodegradable and making great impact and threat to the ecological environment and Advanced Science and Technology Letters Vol.120 (GST 2015), pp.430-433 http://dx.doi.org/10.14257/astl.2015.120.83 ISSN: 2287-1233 ASTL Copyright © 2015 SERSC