Stable Graphene Membranes for Selective Ion Transport and Emerging Contaminants Removal in Water

Abstract

Carbon-based materials, such as graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide membranes have been recently used to fabricate ultrathin, high-flux, and energy-efficient membranes for ionic and molecular sieving in aqueous solution. However, these membranes appeared rather unstable during long-term operation in water with a tendency to swell over time. Membranes produced from pristine, stable, layered graphene materials may overcome these limitations while providing high-level performance. In this paper, an efficient and “green” strategy is proposed to fabricate µm-thick, graphene-based laminates by liquid phase exfoliation in Cyrene and vacuum filtration on a PVDF support. The membranes appear structurally robust and mechanically stable, even after 90 days of operation in water. In ion transport studies, the membranes show size selection (>3.3 Å) and anion-selectivity via the positively charged nanochannels forming the graphene laminate. In antibiotic (tetracycline) diffusion studies under dynamic conditions, the membrane achieve rejection rates higher than 95%. Sizable antibacterial properties are demonstrated in contact method tests with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. Overall, these “green” graphene-based membranes represent a viable option for future water management applications.