Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7019966 | Journal of Membrane Science | 2018 | 41 Pages |
Abstract
Two nanocomposite types of Cu(tpa) MOFs supported on graphene oxide (Cu(tpa)@GO) were prepared by varying the ratio of MOF to GO. These composites were used to produce a series of Cu(tpa)@GO polyethersulfone (PES) composite membranes through a phase inversion method. The nanocomposites and the membranes were all characterized using a variety of physicochemical techniques such as contact angle, SEM, TEM, etc. The composite membranes exhibited high hydrophilicity and increased pure water flux relative to pristine PES and GO/PES membranes. Furthermore, the Cu(tpa)@GO/PES composite membranes presented high antifouling properties with almost 98% of flux recovery ratio compared to 43% and 78% obtained for pristine PES and GO/PES membrane respectively. Finally, these Cu(tpa)@GO/PES membranes exhibited selective anionic dye rejection of >â¯80% and >â¯50% for Congo Red and Methyl Orange respectively as compared to that observed for the cationic dye Methylene Blue at <â¯20%. This facile, cost-effective modification strategy offers additional criteria to design ultrafiltration membranes with selective rejection, improved fouling properties as well as increased flux for water treatment applications.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Filtration and Separation
Authors
T.A. Makhetha, R.M. Moutloali,