PVDF Composite Membrane Research Articles

Depositing of PVAM and GA onto PVDF/POTS-SiO2 to fabricate a Janus membrane for direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD)

The DCMD technology for wastewater treatment is very promising. However, it is easily suffered by membrane fouling and wetting. In this study, a Janus membrane was fabricated by coating polyvinylamine (PVAM) and gallic acid (GA) onto one side of a PVDF composite membrane, which another side is covered with POTS-SiO2. The PVAM and GA side could bind water to form a hydration layer, thus repel the contaminants. The POTS-SiO2 side was superhydrophobicity and prevented the membrane wetting. Finally, The Janus membrane presented exceptional performance in separating salt containing emulsified oil by DCMD. It kept a stable flux of 17.0 ± 0.2 Kg·m−2·h−1 and a low level conductivity of 0.60 ± 0.02 μS/cm in the cold side during the 36 h DCMD procedure, compared with the pristine PVDF membrane and the PVDF/POTS-SiO2 membrane. The results presented simultaneously antifouling and antiwetting properties of the Janus membrane. While the Janus membrane can be well used in desalination of emulsified oil containing salt, it has a great potential for application to treat other complex wastewater.

Synthesis of a Cu-Al bimetallic oxide @ PVDF composite membrane for the degradation of bisphenol a via peroxydisulfate activation: Performance and mechanism

The presence of environmental endocrine-disrupting compounds, such as bisphenol A (BPA), in aquatic environments poses a significant risk to both ecological integrity and human health. Although CuO has been reported as a catalyst for activating peroxydisulfate (PDS) to degrade BPA, it exhibits certain limitations, including low catalytic efficiency, aggregation, and challenges in terms of separation and reusability. In this study, we developed a composite poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based membrane incorporating Cu-Al bimetallic oxide (Cu-Al) to address these issues. Results revealed that when employing the 7 wt% Cu-Al @ PVDF composite membrane to activate 1 mM PDS, approximately 95.3 % of BPA was degraded within 60 min in static experiments. Furthermore, this composite membrane exhibited remarkable efficacy across a broad pH range (3–11) and demonstrated excellent resistance against diverse anionic species. The removal process is proposed to be dominated by electron transfer between the composite membrane, PDS, and BPA via a two-step mechanism: Firstly, electron-rich Cu sites and oxygen vacancies were formed in the composite membrane, facilitating PDS adsorption and electron transfer from Cu sites to PDS to form a ligand complex; subsequently, BPA was adsorbed by the membrane and acted as an electron donor to be oxidized by the ligand complex. As a result, this system showed remarkable selectivity for degrading electron-rich organic compounds with ionization potentials below 9.0 eV. Overall, this work successfully fabricated a catalytic membrane exhibiting efficient PDS activation capability along with selective oxidation performance and facile reusability, making it highly promising for wastewater treatment.

Engineering PVDF omniphobic membranes with flower-like micro-nano structures for robust membrane distillation

Conventional PVDF membranes are easily wetted and contaminated in membrane distillation (MD) process, especially when used in separating high-salinity water and oil-contained saline water. To address these issues, an omniphobic membrane was fabricated in this work. ZnO micro-flowers with a rough structure were successfully deposited onto the PVDF membrane with the assistance of polydopamine assistance. After undergoing a fluorination process, the omniphobic membranes were prepared by the synergistic effect of surface microstructure and free energy. The effects of varying Zn(NO3)2 concentrations and deposition times on morphology, pore size and separation efficiency were comprehensively examined. It was demonstrated that at a Zn(NO3)2 concentration of 50 mM and a deposition time of 0.5 h, the resulting PVDF composite membrane exhibited high liquid repellency towards all the test liquids, such as water, ethanol solution, paraffin oil, and etc. Furthermore, the membrane consistently exhibited impressive salt rejection behavior (99.99%) and maintained an average flux (15.54 kg·m−2·h−1) when exposed to high-salinity solution (up to 20 wt%-NaCl). Meanwhile, during treating an oil-contained saline water emulsion with the oil content of 200 ppm, the membrane also displayed high resistance to wetting and fouling during the continuously 24 h tests. The membrane displayed a rejection rate of 99.99 % with an average vapor flux of 18.60 kg·m−2·h−1. In summary, this omniphobic membranes demonstrated a great potential in MD for practical challenging wastewater treatment.

An Effective Mercury Ion Adsorbent Based on a Mixed-Matrix Polyvinylidene Fluoride Membrane with Excellent Hydrophilicity and High Mechanical Strength

Improving the hydrophilicity and mechanical strength of membranes in water treatment applications remains challenging. In this study, modified vermiculite (VT-M) and a hydrophilic polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were introduced into a polyethyleneimine-functionalized polyvinylidene fluoride composite membrane (PVDF/PEI) to prepare a comprehensively modified mixed-matrix PVDF composite membrane adsorbent that exhibited high mechanical strength and excellent hydrophilicity. The modified composite membrane featured good tensile properties, with a maximum tensile strength of 2.093 MPa, which was 2.5 times that of the PVDF/PEI membrane. After 7 s, the water contact angle of the composite membrane decreased to 0°, leading to significantly improved hydrophilicity. The modified composite membrane exhibited excellent adsorption selectivity for mercury ions, with a fitted maximum adsorption capacity of 807 mg/g. In a mixed-metal ion solution, the selectivity of the membrane for Hg(II) ions was 1.2 × 105 times that for Cd(II) ions. The adsorption mechanism of Hg(II) ions involved chelation, electrostatic attraction, and crystal growth processes. The present work suggests the great potential of mixed-matrix PVDF composite materials in the remediation of mercury-polluted water environments.

Comparable investigation for incorporation of zirconium MOF@PVDF membrane as cation selective membranes for lithium-ion separation

To improve the efficiency of lithium-ion separation and removal from contaminated water, the performance of zirconium MOFs as filler for PVDF composite membranes in lithium-ion separation was investigated in this work utilizing the electrodialysis technique. Two different cations selective PVDF-based membranes, UiO-66/PVDF and UiO-66/ZIF-8/PVDF were casted using the phase inversion technique. Various spectroscopic techniques were utilized to validate the physicochemical properties of fabricated PVDF composite membranes, which include FTIR, XRD, SEM, and XPS. It was evident that the fabricated UiO-66/ZIF-8/PVDF membrane exhibits superior lithium-ion removal (94 %) from contaminated water, compared to the UiO-66/PVDF membrane which exhibits 75 % removal at a high Li ion concentration (400 ppm). It was evident that the UiO-66/ZIF-8/PVDF membrane exhibits adsorptive qualities towards Li-ion removal, making it more appropriate for water treatment. In contrast, UiO-66/PVDF showed higher cation migration capabilities, which is encouraging for lithium recovery. These different separation mechanisms of the fabricated PVDF-based composite membranes toward Li ions are owed to the properties and the functionality of MOFs utilized as membrane fillers beside the intercalated pore structure of the fabricated composite membrane that produces ion channels with ion adsorptive characteristics. The promising features of the fabricated composite membranes render them suitable for lithium separation from contaminated water.

Performance investigation on GO-TiO2/PVDF composite ultrafiltration membrane for slightly polluted ground water treatment

Performance investigation on GO-TiO2/PVDF composite ultrafiltration membrane for slightly polluted ground water treatment

Magnetically Grafted Carbon Nanotubes Synthesis and Its Oriented Nanochannels Construction in the Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride) (PVDF) Ultrafiltration Membranes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with hollow nanochannels have attracted much attention in preparing high-performance water treatment membranes. In this paper, the grafting polymer chains, including alkynyl terminated poly(methyl methacrylate) methacrylate (PMMA) single chain and PMMA-b-poly (ethylene glycol) methacrylate [P(PEGMA)] diblock molecular chains, were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. A UV-induced click reaction was used to graft different linear polymers onto the surface of magnetic thiol-functionalized carbon nanotubes (mCNTs-SH). The poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) composite ultrafiltration membrane within the oriented nanochannels was prepared using phase inversion and magnetic field orientation. TEM and XRD results confirmed that the magnetic carbon nanotubes grafted with a diblock molecular chain had good nano-dispersion and orientation array effects in PVDF composite ultrafiltration membrane. The water contact angle of the array mCNT-g-diblock molecular chain-based composite membrane was 48.5°, significantly enhancing the PEGMA chain segments. The composite membrane with CTNs’ nanochannels attained a higher water flux. As the diblock molecular chain grafted mCNTs oriented in the membrane, the water flux reached 17.6 LMH (five times greater than the pure PVDF membrane), while the molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) for PEG1400 rejection could reach higher than 80%.

Fabrication of Anatase TiO2/PVDF Composite Membrane for Oil-in-Water Emulsion Separation and Dye Photocatalytic Degradation

At present, the types of pollutants in wastewater are more and more complicated, however, the multifunctional membrane materials are in short supply. To prepare a membrane with both high efficient oil-in-water emulsion separation performance and photocatalytic degradation performance of organic dyes, the bifunctional separation membrane was successfully prepared by electrostatic spinning technology of PVDF/PEMA and in situ deposition of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles containing Ti3+ and oxygen vacancies (Ov). The prepared composite membrane has excellent hydrophilic properties (WCA = 15.65), underwater oleophobic properties (UOCA = 156.69), and photocatalytic performance. These composite membranes have high separation efficiency and outstanding anti-fouling performance, the oil removal efficiency reaches 98.95%, and the flux recovery rate (FRR) reaches 99.19% for soybean oil-in-water emulsion. In addition, the composite membrane has outstanding photocatalytic degradation performance, with 97% and 90.2% degradation of RhB and AG-25 under UV conditions, respectively. Several oil-in-water separation and dye degradation experiments show that the PVDF composite membrane has excellent reuse performance. Based on these results, this study opens new avenues for the preparation of multifunctional reusable membranes for the water treatment field.

Bioinspired under-liquid superlyophobic PVDF membrane via synchronous in-situ growth of sliver nanoparticles for oil/water emulsion separation

Effective oil/water separation is urgently demanded but still remains a global challenge. Membranes with super-wettability have been rapidly developed, but most of the membranes are suffered from the complicated fabrication procedures and inability of separating different types of emulsions. In this work, super-amphiphilic PVDF composite membranes were developed via synchronous in-situ growth and immobilization of Ag nanoparticles during phase inversion. This method allowed the membrane formation and nanoparticle immobilization at the same time. The impact of silver growth time on the surface morphology and wettability was comprehensively investigated. The introduction of Ag nanoparticles endowed the membranes with micro/nano-structures and super-wetting property, which made the membrane possess reversible under-liquid superamphiphobicity. The PVDF composite membranes exhibited high permeate flux and outstanding separation efficiency for different surfactant-stabilized oil/water emulsions. Moreover, the prepared membranes could be regenerated through a facile method of rinsing and drying and the high separation performance could be maintained after repeated cycles, indicating the outstanding anti-fouling performance of the membranes. Furthermore, the PVDF composite membranes exhibited superior antibacterial performance. This work made progress in fabricating super-wetting membranes with excellent emulsion separation performance and the membranes can be prospective candidate for oily-mixture separation in practical applications.

Contact-Piezoelectric Bi-Catalysis of an Electrospun ZnO@PVDF Composite Membrane for Dye Decomposition

The treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater is becoming a great challenge for social development. Herein, a novel contact-piezoelectric bi-catalysis of a ZnO@ PVDF composite membrane was prepared by electrospinning technology. The obtained ZnO@PVDF composite membranes is superior to the pure PVDF membrane in decomposing methyl orange (MO) under ultrasonication at room temperature, which is mainly attributed to the synergy effect of the contact-electro-catalysis of dielectric PVDF, as well as the piezoelectric catalysis of tetrapodal ZnO and the β-phase of PVDF. The heterostructure of the piezoelectric-ZnO@dielectric-PVDF composite is beneficial in reducing the electron/hole pair recombination. As compared to the pure PVDF membrane, the catalytic degradation efficiency of the ZnO@PVDF composite membrane was improved by 444.23% under ultrasonication. Moreover, the reusability and stability of the composite membrane are comparable to those of the traditional powdered catalyst. This work offers a promising strategy for improving the pollutant degradation by combining contact-electro-catalysis with piezoelectric catalysis.

Amperometric hydrogen sensor based on pyrrolidinium hydrogen sulfate under anaerobic conditions

• An amperometric hydrogen sensor that based on [Py] [HSO 4 ]/PVDF composite membranes • The hydrogen sensor could operate under anaerobic conditions. • The sensing mechanism of hydrogen sensors with proton ionic liquid electrolytes was investigated. Hydrogen as a sustainable energy source can contribute to overcoming the shortage of fossil fuel. The storage and transport of hydrogen will further increase the demand for sensors that detect trace amounts of hydrogen in anaerobic conditions. So, we have designed an innovative amperometric hydrogen sensor that based on protic ionic liquid (PIL) electrolyte. The sensor based on [Py][HSO 4 ] was found to be highly sensitive and selective to hydrogen with a good linearity and long-term stability. The sensor also demonstrates its potential in the field of hydrogen fuel storage by providing excellent performance at low temperatures.

Improvement of PVDF composite membrane performance by using nanocrystals cellulose from waste pineapple leaf and g‐C3N4

AbstractHerein, the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) composite membranes blended with pineapple leaf nanocrystalline cellulose (PLNC) and g‐C3N4 for ultrafiltration were designed and fabricated via surface segregation during non‐solvent induced phase separation. The incorporation of PLNC and g‐C3N4 endows the PVDF composite membrane with a higher porosity, enhancing the pure water flux of PVDF/g‐C3N4/PLNC membrane by 256.75% compared to the PVDF membrane, while maintaining a higher water flux recoveries of 82.1%. Moreover, surface chemical compositions, surface and cross‐section morphologies, degree of crystallinity were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction, respectively. The mechanical properties of the PVDF composite membranes were also investigated. All the above experimental data showed that the addition of PLNC and g‐C3N4 can greatly improve the performance of the PVDF membrane. The prepared modified membrane has potential application value in the field of wastewater separation and treatment.

Fabrication of high flux porphrin-cored with siloxane-poly(amido amine) dendrimer/PVDF composite membrane for oil/water separation and dye degradation

The effective separation of oil-water emulsion and the degradation of organic dyes are significant for solving the problem of environmental pollution. In this view, porphrin-cored with siloxane-poly(amido amine) dendrimer(PP-Si-PAMAM) blending PVDF composite membrane (PP-Si-PAMAM/PVDF) was successfully prepared by using simple non-solvent-induced phase inversion method. After introducing PP-Si-PAMAM into PVDF membrane matrix, the porosity, hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of the composite membrane were significantly improved. The resultant membrane exhibits admirable separation performance (above 99.1%) and high permeation flux (830–1471 L∙m−2∙h−1∙bar−1) for a series of oil-water emulsions. After 10 cycles of separation, the separation efficiency of the PP-Si-PAMAM/PVDF membrane is still more than 99%, and it still maintains excellent separation efficiency and permeability after extreme chemical environment treatment. Moreover, PP-Si-PAMAM/PVDF membrane has excellent degradation effect on organic dyes RhB and MB under visible light, and the degradation efficiency reaches 88% and 90% respectively in a short time. This work has huge potential applications in wastewater treatment with its combined advantages of oil-water emulsion separation and catalytic degradation of organic dye contaminants.

Preparation of superhydrophobic PVDF composite membrane via catechol/polyamine co-deposition and Ag nanoparticles in-situ growth for membrane distillation

Membrane distillation (MD) has gained widespread attention in desalination and wastewater treatment. However, membrane fouling and membrane wetting seriously hinder its further development and industrial application. This work provides a method for preparing superhydrophobic modified membranes for MD through mussel-inspired coating, in-situ growth of nanoparticles and modification of low surface energy substances. The copolymerization of catechol and polyethyleneimine produced a poly(catechol/polyamine) layer rich in catechol groups and amino groups, which realized the in-situ reduction of silver nanoparticles and constructed a micro-nano rough structure. The resulting superhydrophobic modified membrane with an average roughness of 314.78 nm has a static water contact angle of 151.6 ± 2.5° and a sliding angle of 9.6°. The superhydrophobic membrane showed a membrane flux increase of more than 20% compared with the pristine PVDF and exhibited stable membrane flux and high salt rejection (>99.9%) when processing saline feeds containing surfactants, oily substances, organic pollutants and high concentration salts, indicating the excellent anti-wetting and anti-fouling properties. The superhydrophobic modified membrane prepared in this study improves the adaptability of the MD process and provides a promising candidate for membrane modification methods for MD.

Effect of Self-Made TiO2 Nanoparticle Size on the Performance of the PVDF Composite Membrane in MBR for Landfill Leachate Treatment.

The pollutant composition of landfill leachate is complex, and pollutant concentrations change greatly. Moreover, landfill leachates can easily penetrate into the soil and eventually pollute the ground water, which can cause environmental pollution and threaten human health. At present, landfill leachate treatment technology is still not mature. In this paper, the A/O-MBR (Anoxic–Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor) process is proposed to treat landfill leachate. To increase the hydrophilicity of the membranes and reduce the pollution of the membranes, the self-made TiO2 nanoparticles were used to modify the ultrafiltration membranes (PVDF-2). Meanwhile, PVDF-2 composite membranes showed the best separation performance. The optimum operating parameters were determined by changing the concentration of the pollutants in the reactor and selecting the dissolved oxygen, pH, and hydraulic residence time. The results show that the optimum operating conditions of MBR are mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) = 3200 mg/L, DO = 1.5–2.5 mg/L in a nitrifying tank, DO = 0–0.5 mg/L in a denitrifying tank, pH = 7–8, and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) = 5 h. To reach the “Discharge Standard of Pollutants for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants” (GB18918-2002), the effluent of the MBR system further enters into the RO system. This work presents an environmentally friendly synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles and added into PVDF. The addition of self-made TiO2 in PVDF membrane has improved the antifouling performance significantly, which has the potential for the treatment of landfill leachate.

An integrated solar absorber with salt-resistant and oleophobic based on PVDF composite membrane for solar steam generation

Improving the salt resistance and anti-fouling of photothermal materials is essential for practical application of solar interfacial evaporation technology. In this article, a double-layered dual-function interfacial evaporation system (named as M-SIE) with self-desalting and oil repellency is reported, which is fabricated by carbon black, polyvinylidene fluoride, and nano sponge. The as-prepared M-SIE shows a high solar energy conversion efficiency of 81.7%–83.1%, which is due to the dual function of light absorption (Ca. 90%) and superhydrophilicity. The superhydrophilicity and floatability in water endow the nano sponge pumping water continuously and greatly promote the dissolution of salt accumulation, e.g. 1 g NaCl on polyvinylidene fluoride composite membrane can be eliminated completely in a short time. The solar energy conversion efficiency of M-SIE was measured to be 78.9%–79.2% in 20 wt% NaCl, and the solar energy conversion efficiency can reach to 80.4% in an aqueous solution containing 6% n-hexadecane. Compared with the most existing interface evaporation systems, the M-SIE system has the advantages of simple fabrication, highly efficiency, stability, and portability. Moreover, the salt and oil resistance make the M-SIE can serve as a high-performance integrated evaporation system with great potential for operation under different water environments such as seawater or oily wastewater, and so on.

Simultaneously enhancing purification, catalysis and in situ separation in a continuous cross-flow catalytic degradation process of multi-component organic pollutants by a double-layer PVDF composite membrane

Organic pollutant degradation of waterbody by membrane catalysis is widely reported due to the low operation cost and high catalytic degradation efficiency. However, it still faces a great challenge to effectively treat the complicated wastewater with coexisting multi-component organic pollutants. Herein, we design and then fabricate a novel double-layer composite membrane to realize the separation of multi-component organic pollutants, selectively catalytic degradation and in situ product separation in a one-step. This double-layer membrane systematically characterized by FTIR, XPS, SEM, AFM and the other techniques, comprises a top semi- interpenetrating polymer network(semi-IPN) layer and a bottom poly(vinylidene fluoride)-Pd catalytic layer. In a continuous cross-flow filtration process, some pollutants such as congo red, direct black 38, direct red 23 and BSA are directly separated by the membrane, while the pollutant p-nitrophenol controllably penetrates through the top semi-IPN layer and then reacts in the catalytic layer; subsequently, the product p-aminophenol is in situ separated and collected. In this process, the pollutant p-nitrophenol is purified by filtration in advance; further, the product is isolated by the top layer and timely dischared out by penetrative flow. Therefore, this process prevents the undesired pollutants and products from interfering the catalytic degradation of the catalytic layer. Thus, degradation reaction can continuously and conveniently proceed, companying with products in situ separation and collection.

Postsynthetic of MIL-101-NH2 MOFs supported on PVDF membrane for REEs recovery from waste phosphor.

With the increasing demand for rare earth elements (REEs) due to their wide application in high technology, their recovery and separation from waste sources has gradually come onto the agenda. Herein, a new kind of MIL-101-NH2 (M1N) MOF functionalized with diethanol anhydride (DGA) incorporated into a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane (DGA-M1N@PVDF) has been fabricated for the sorption of REEs from a simulated acid leaching solution of waste phosphor, which contains a large amount of REEs. FTIR, TGA, XRD, fluorescence spectra and XPS analysis were used to characterize the synthesized composite membrane. Batch tests were employed to determine the optimal sorption conditions for Y and Eu adsorbed on DGA-M1N@PVDF adsorbent, such as pH (1–5), content of M1N MOFs (0–40 wt%), contact time (10–180 min) and ion concentration (0–20 mg L−1). Maximum adsorption capacities for Y and Eu on DGA-M1N@PVDF reached 991.7 μg g−1 and 98.76 μg g−1 for trace REE solution, respectively. Moreover, a pseudo-second-order kinetic model accurately described the sorption process, and the plotted isothermal data indicated that the Langmuir model was more suitable than the Freundlich model for Y and Eu sorption with monolayer and chemical adsorption. Meanwhile, FTIR and XPS analyses revealed that the Y and Eu adsorption on the DGA-M1N@PVDF composite membrane was mainly caused by the N and O atoms of the –CONH or –COOH groups coordinated with metal ions. Furthermore, after five cycles, the recovery efficiency by DGA-M1N@PVDF for REEs remains above 82% and the XRD patterns were consistent with the original sample, which implied that the DGA-M1N@PVDF membrane has preferable stability, recyclability and good efficiency in REE separation from waste phosphor solutions.

Fabrication of photo-Fenton self-cleaning PVDF composite membrane for highly efficient oil-in-water emulsion separation.

The anti-fouling performance of membranes is an important performance in the separation of oil/water. However, the membrane with anti-fouling performance will also have surface scaling phenomenon when it runs for a long time. Therefore, there is still a great demand for stain-resistant membranes with good self-cleaning ability and high flux recovery rate. Based on this, this paper firstly prepared a hydrophilic membrane with carboxyl group and carboxyl ion by blending poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PEMA) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and then prepared a self-cleaning composite membrane by in situ mineralization of β-FeOOH particles on the surface of the membrane for efficient oil-in-water emulsion separation. A large number of -COOH/COO- and β-FeOOH particles on the membrane surface make the composite membrane have strong hydrophilic properties (WCA = 20.34°) and underwater superoleophobicity (UOCA = 155.10°). These composite membranes have high separation efficiency (98.8%) and high flux (694.56 L m-2 h-1 bar-1) for soybean oil-in-water emulsion. Importantly, the as-prepared membrane shows excellent flux recovery rate (over 99.93%) attributed to the robust photo-Fenton catalytic activity of β-FeOOH, and the β-FeOOH is chemically bonded to the as-prepared membrane, which makes the as-prepared membrane have good reusability. This work provides hope for the application of self-cleaning membranes in the construction of anti-fouling membranes for wastewater remediation.

Well dispersed rGO in PVDF, PMMA and PTFE matrix: A nanocomposite with hydrophilic, capacitive, and improved tensile strength nature

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is active to bind with proteins so rGO based nanocomposites (membranes) can be explored for their use as bio fluid sensors. For this purpose, PVDF is a good polymer which provides flexible PVDF composite membrane. To achieve stiffer rGO/PVDF based composites, rGO/PVDF was modified with PMMA and PTFE due to their useful properties in the field of membranes. This paper reports the hydrophilic and thermally stable (up to 326 °C) rGO filler based PVDF/PMMA/PTFE thin membranes (nanocomposite) synthesized with solvent casting technique. An enhancement in the elasticity (80%) and tensile strength (566%) was observed due to PTFE. The increased rGO content in PVDF/PMMA/PTFE matrix was found to increase the tensile strength and capacitance of the membrane, while decreasing the elongation at break (stiffness). Dip sites identified by AFM in the fabricated stiff membranes also exhibit a water absorbing nature, demonstrating their possible use in a FET towards the sensing of biomolecules.