Graphene oxide (GO) is a monolayer of sp2-bonded graphene sheets decorated with oxygen functional groups. When assembled into membranes using laminated GO sheets, polar solvent molecules and ions can pass through the nano-scale permeation channels that are formed. This unique feature of GO membranes make them a compelling candidate for water filtration applications. To be eligible for use in these applications, the membrane’s aqueous stability must be improved, and its permeation properties investigated. This study investigated the effect of additive cation modifications on the internal structure and bonding of the GO membranes as well as their stability and permeation properties. The cations used for this study were Na+, Li+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Al3+, and Fe3+. In addition, the effect of these modifications on the membrane’s filtration capabilities, combined with a prefabricated filter for stability, was investigated to determine the extent of their effectiveness. The cations had a varied effect on the stability of the membranes, with monovalent cations having no effect, divalent cations having some effect, and trivalent cations having positive improvement. While the permeabilities of all the cation modified membranes were less than the unmodified GO membranes, the Fe3+ and Cu2+ modified membranes had the most comparable permeability whereas the Al3+ modified membrane had the lowest permeability. The results of the filtration tests showed preliminary evidence of the cation modified membranes’ ability to filter polar molecules and ions in solution, particularly toluidine blue dye, Sr2+, NO2-, and PO43-. This study provides a preliminary investigation into the use of GO membranes in water filtration applications for dye contamination and spring water treatment.
Primary Speaker
Faculty Sponsors
Faculty Department/Program
Faculty Division
Presentation Type
Do You Approve this Abstract?
Approved