Multifunctional Thin-Film Nanofiltration Membrane Incorporated with Reduced Graphene Oxide@TiO2@Ag Nanocomposites for High Desalination Performance, Dye Retention, and Antibacterial Properties

Hamidreza Abadikhah; Ehsan Naderi Kalali; Samaneh Khodi; Xin Xu; Simeon Agathopoulos

doi:10.1021/acsami.9b03557

Multifunctional Thin-Film Nanofiltration Membrane Incorporated with Reduced Graphene Oxide@TiO₂@Ag Nanocomposites for High Desalination Performance, Dye Retention, and Antibacterial Properties

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2019 Jul 3;11(26):23535-23545. doi: 10.1021/acsami.9b03557. Epub 2019 Jun 24.

Authors

Hamidreza Abadikhah, Ehsan Naderi Kalali, Samaneh Khodi¹, Xin Xu, Simeon Agathopoulos²

Affiliations

¹ School of Life Sciences , University of Science and Technology of China , 443 Huangshan Road , Hefei , Anhui 230027 , China.
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Ioannina , Ioannina GR-45110 , Greece.

PMID: 31199614
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b03557

Abstract

High desalination performance, dye retention, and antibacterial properties were achieved with a multifunctional thin-film nanocomposite (MTFN) membrane, fabricated by the incorporation of a novel nanocomposite structure of reduced graphene oxide@TiO₂@Ag (rGO@TiO₂@Ag) into the polyamide active layer. The specific characteristics of the graphene-based nanocomposite, synthesized by the microwave-assisted irradiation process, favored water channelization and provided superhydrophilicity and antibacterial properties to the MTFN membranes. In comparison with the conventional methods, such as multistep chemical process using strong agents for reduction and long-term energy-consuming hydrothermal process, microwave irradiation facilitated a green, fast, and cost-effective route for the fabrication of GO-based nanocomposites for multifunctional applications. Interfacial polymerization was performed on a polyethersulfone/Si₃N₄ robust hollow fiber substrate using m-phenylenediamine aqueous solution and 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyltrichloride organic solution. The structural and chemical characteristics of the synthesized nanocomposites and the MTFN membranes were thoroughly studied by a series of characterization analyses (transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy). The physicochemical properties and the nanofiltration performance of the MTFN membranes were investigated after the incorporation of rGO@TiO₂@Ag at various concentrations. The water contact angles confirmed the superb surface hydrophilicity of the MTFN membranes. High permeability (52 L·m^-2·h^-1), desalination (96% for 1 g/L Na₂SO₄ feed solution), and dye retention (98% for 0.5 g/L rose bengal feed solution) were recorded for MTFN enriched with 0.2 wt % rGO@TiO₂@Ag. A 90% reduction in the number of viable bacteria ( Escherichia coli), after 3 h of contact with MTFN membranes, confirmed the superior antibacterial activity of the produced membranes.

Keywords: antibacterial properties; desalination; interfacial polymerization; rGO@TiO@Ag nanocomposite; thin-film nanocomposite membrane.