Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets with multi-layer structure and an interlayer spacing of 0.83 nm were prepared and incorporated into the polyamide (PA) thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes. The membrane formation involved in situ interfacial polymerization (IP) of aqueous m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC)-GO mixture solutions, with the GO nanosheet concentrations in the mixture solution ranging from 0 to 0.02 wt%. The membrane performance was evaluated based on water permeability and salt rejection, and the membrane characteristics examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy. Results indicated that the GO nanosheets dispersed well in the PA thin-film layer and improved membrane performances under a very low GO loading. By increasing concentration of nanosheets, the permeate water flux increased from 39.0 � 1.6 L/m2h to 59.4 � 0.4 L/m2h, with minimal decreases in rejections of NaCl and Na2SO4, from 95.7 � 0.6% to 93.8 � 0.6% and 98.1 � 0.4% to 97.3 � 0.3%, respectively. It was proposed that the interlayer spacings of GO nanosheets have worked as water channels and hence contributed to the enhanced water permeability.

Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets enhance water filtration through the polyamide (PA) thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.