In this study, graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticle functionalized with a zwitterionic polymer poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA), was fabricated and incorporated into the active layer of a polyamide nanofiltration membrane to improve its water selectivity and antifouling properties. This GO-PSBMA nanocomposite was fabricated via an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique. The successful functionalization of GO-PSBMA nanocomposite was confirmed via EDS and TEM analysis. The length of polymer was controlled via an optimization of polymerization time. Incorporating GO-PSBMA into the polyamide structure significantly improved the membrane hydrophilicity. A three-fold increase in water permeation flux with an insignificant change in NaCl rejection was observed after incorporating 0.2 wt% of GO-PSBMA into the membrane structure. In comparison to the control membrane, the fabricated PA/(GO-PSBMA) (0.2 wt%) nanocomposite membrane reduced bacterial cell attachment by up to 80%.

Zwitterion functionalized graphene oxide nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane with improved water flux and antifouling properties

256th National Meeting (2018)

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