Polyphenol-mediated defect patching of graphene oxide membranes for sulfonamide contaminants removal and fouling control

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO)-based laminar membranes are promising candidates for next-generation nanofiltration membranes because of their theoretically frictionless nanochannels. However, nonuniform stacking during the filtration process and the inherent swelling of GO nanosheets generate horizontal and vertical defects, leading to a low selectivity and susceptibility to pore blockage. Herein, both types of defects are simultaneously patching by utilizing tannic acid and FeⅢ. Tannic acid first partially reduced the upper GO framework, and then coordinated with FeⅢ to form a metal-polyphenol network covering horizontal defects. Due to the enhanced steric hindrance, the resulting membrane exhibited a two-fold increase in sulfonamide contaminants exclusion compared to the pristine GO membrane. A non-significant reduction in permeance was observed. In terms of fouling control, shielding defects significantly alleviated the irreversible pore blockage of the membrane. Additionally, the hydrophilic metal-polyphenol network weakened the adhesion force between the membrane and foulants, thereby improving the reversibility of fouling in the cleaning stage. This work opens up a new way to develop GO-based membranes with enhanced separation performance and antifouling ability.