Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene
Oxide as Nanofillers in Membrane
Separation
Siamak Pakdel, Sima Majidi, Jafar Azamat, and Hamid Erfan-Niya
Abstract Due to the excellent physiochemical properties of graphene oxide (GO)
and its family members, these materials have been extensively used for water purification. This chapter presents and discusses the recent development of GO and reduced
graphene oxide (rGO) composites for membrane filtration. At first, we highlight
the current synthesis methods of polymer–GO/rGO nanocomposites such as solvent
processing, in situ polymerization, and melt processing. Also, some novel preparation methods of nanocomposites are discussed. Then, we compare the recent experimental works on the fabrication and testing of these nanocomposite membranes
with classical membranes. Finally, Characterization techniques of nanocomposite
membranes including spectral characterization, analysis of the membrane surface
roughness, morphological study, and measurement of contact angle, as well as the
thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite membranes are investigated.
Keywords Nanofiller · Graphene oxide · Reduced graphene oxide ·
Nanocomposite · Membrane
1 Introduction
An ideal membrane material should be capable of being modified to get the desired
performance. Recently, some ideal nanomaterials, such as titanium dioxide [1],
nanosilver [2], aquaporins [3], nanosilica [4, 5], graphene oxide (GO), and carbon
nanotubes (CNTs) [6–8] have been used to develop membranes with ideal performance and structure [9–11]. Among them, GO is the new class of membrane material
that was discovered in 2012 [12], offers superior properties in comparison with
ceramic and polymeric membranes in terms of high hydrophilicity, outstanding
S. Pakdel · S. Majidi · H. Erfan-Niya (B)
Faculty of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Tabriz, 51666-16471 Tabriz, Iran
e-mail: herfan@tabrizu.ac.ir
J. Azamat
Department of Basic Sciences, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
R. Das (ed.), Two-Dimensional (2D) Nanomaterials in Separation Science,
Springer Series on Polymer and Composite Materials,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72457-3_5
113
Oxide as Nanofillers in Membrane
Separation
Siamak Pakdel, Sima Majidi, Jafar Azamat, and Hamid Erfan-Niya
Abstract Due to the excellent physiochemical properties of graphene oxide (GO)
and its family members, these materials have been extensively used for water purification. This chapter presents and discusses the recent development of GO and reduced
graphene oxide (rGO) composites for membrane filtration. At first, we highlight
the current synthesis methods of polymer–GO/rGO nanocomposites such as solvent
processing, in situ polymerization, and melt processing. Also, some novel preparation methods of nanocomposites are discussed. Then, we compare the recent experimental works on the fabrication and testing of these nanocomposite membranes
with classical membranes. Finally, Characterization techniques of nanocomposite
membranes including spectral characterization, analysis of the membrane surface
roughness, morphological study, and measurement of contact angle, as well as the
thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite membranes are investigated.
Keywords Nanofiller · Graphene oxide · Reduced graphene oxide ·
Nanocomposite · Membrane
1 Introduction
An ideal membrane material should be capable of being modified to get the desired
performance. Recently, some ideal nanomaterials, such as titanium dioxide [1],
nanosilver [2], aquaporins [3], nanosilica [4, 5], graphene oxide (GO), and carbon
nanotubes (CNTs) [6–8] have been used to develop membranes with ideal performance and structure [9–11]. Among them, GO is the new class of membrane material
that was discovered in 2012 [12], offers superior properties in comparison with
ceramic and polymeric membranes in terms of high hydrophilicity, outstanding
S. Pakdel · S. Majidi · H. Erfan-Niya (B)
Faculty of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Tabriz, 51666-16471 Tabriz, Iran
e-mail: herfan@tabrizu.ac.ir
J. Azamat
Department of Basic Sciences, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
R. Das (ed.), Two-Dimensional (2D) Nanomaterials in Separation Science,
Springer Series on Polymer and Composite Materials,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72457-3_5
113