TETA-anchored graphene oxide enhanced polyamide thin film nanofiltration membrane for water purification; performance and antifouling properties

Abstract

This work investigates the performance and structure of polyamide thin film nanocomposite (PA-TFN) membrane incorporated with triethylenetetramine-modified graphene oxide (GO-TETA). The embedment of GO-TETA nanosheets within the structure of PA-TFN membrane was evaluated at different concentrations (0.005, 0.01, 0.03 wt%; in aqueous piperazine (PIP)) through interfacial polymerization (IP). The physicochemical properties of the prepared membrane were investigated by SEM, AFM, water contact angle, and zeta potential as well as ATR-IR spectroscopy. The presence of longer chains of amino groups (in comparison with the directly linked amino ones) among the stacked GO nanosheets was assumed to increase interlayer spacing, resulting in remarkable changes in water permeance and separation behavior of modified polyamide (PA) membrane. It is seen that GO-TETA nanosheets were uniformly distributed in the matrix of PA layer. With increasing the concentration of GO-TETA, the flux of TFN membranes under 6 bar was increased from 49.8 l/m² h (no additive) to 73.2 l/m² h (TFN comprising 0.03 wt% GO-TETA. In addition, more loading GO-TETA resulted in a significant decrease in the average thickness of the polyamide layer from ~380 to ~150 nm. Furthermore, addition of GO-TETA improved the hydrophilicity of nanocomposite membranes, resulting in superb water flux recovery (antifouling indicator) as high as 95% after filtration of bovine serum albumin solution. Also, the retention capability of the TFN membranes towards some textile dyes increased as high as 99.6%.

Keywords: Antifouling and performance; Covalently-functionalized GO; Dye removal; Nanofiltration nanocomposite membrane.