Materials Research Express (Jan 2022)

Graphene oxide incorporated polyether sulfone nanocomposite antifouling ultrafiltration membranes with enhanced hydrophilicity

  • Amber Salim,
  • Muhammad Asad Abbas,
  • Imran Ahmad Khan,
  • Muhammad Zafar Khan,
  • Farhan Javaid,
  • Shehla Mushtaq,
  • Mehwish Batool,
  • Muhammad Yasir,
  • Asim Laeeq Khan,
  • Asad U Khan,
  • Kashif Mairaj Deen,
  • Nasir M Ahmad

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/ac81a3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 7
p. 075503

Abstract

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In this study, the polyether sulfone (PES) based membranes containing various concentrations of graphene oxide (GO), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were synthesized via the phase immersion method. This study aims to evaluate the effect of GO addition on the structural properties and performance of the membranes. The membranes were analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The FTIR-ATR spectra indicated the presence of hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups on the surface of GO-incorporated membranes, which improved their dispersion in the polymeric matrix and hydrophilicity. The SEM analysis of the GO-containing PES membranes confirmed the formation of a well-defined finger-like porous structure presenting adequate water flux (95 l.m ^–2 .h ^–1 ) and salt rejection (72%) compared to the pristine PES membranes (46 l.m ^–2 .h ^–1 and ∼35%, respectively). In addition, the significantly large wettability and considerably improved antibacterial characteristic (against S. aureus and E. coli strains ) of the GO-PES membranes are considered impressive features.

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