Abstract
Membrane-based separation technology has attracted great interest in many separation fields due to its advantages of easy-operation, energy-efficiency, easy scale-up, and environmental friendliness. The development of novel membrane materials and membrane structures is an urgent demand to promote membrane-based separation technology. Graphene oxide (GO), as an emerging star nano-building material, has showed great potential in the membrane-based separation field. In this review paper, the latest research progress in GO-based membranes focused on adjusting membrane structure and enhancing their mechanical strength as well as structural stability in aqueous environment is highlighted and discussed in detail. First, we briefly reviewed the preparation and characterization of GO. Then, the preparation method, characterization, and type of GO-based membrane are summarized. Finally, the advancements of GO-based membrane in adjusting membrane structure and enhancing their mechanical strength, as well as structural stability in aqueous environment, are particularly discussed. This review hopefully provides a new avenue for the innovative developments of GO-based membrane in various membrane applications.
Highlights
In the past few decades, membrane-based separation technology has attracted considerable attention in many separation fields due to its advantages of easy-operation, energy-efficiency, and environmental friendliness [1]
We focused on reviewing the preparation method, characterization as well as type of graphene oxide (GO)-based membrane
Special attention has been paid to the latest advancements of GO-based membrane with respect to the adjustment of membrane structure as well as the enhancement of mechanical strength and structural stability in aqueous environment
Summary
In the past few decades, membrane-based separation technology has attracted considerable attention in many separation fields due to its advantages of easy-operation, energy-efficiency, and environmental friendliness [1]. Polymeric membrane has governed the entire membrane market, including real-world application and academic research, owing to its advantages of energy-efficiency, easy-operation, low-cost, and inherent simplicity. The strong trade-off relation between membrane selectivity and permeability is a common challenge for all of polymeric membranes [3] These restrictions have urged membrane scientists to constantly seek new membrane materials and develop novel membrane structures with superior chemical stability, thermal stability, water permeability, as well as high selectivity [4]. Carbon-based materials like carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and its derivative graphene oxide (GO), have shown notable potential in membrane-based separation fields because of their strong mechanical strength, high resistance to strong acids/alkaline and organic solvents, and easy accessibility [5,6,7,8]. GO was served as one of the emerging nano-building materials for the fabrication of novel separation membrane owing to its distinct two-dimensional (2D) and single-atomic-thick structure, high mechanical strength, Membranes 2017, 7, 52; doi:10.3390/membranes7030052 www.mdpi.com/journal/membranes frictionless surface, and good flexibility combined with large-scale and cost-effective production in solution [9,10,11]
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