Graphene Oxide Membranes: Toward Sustainable Water Purification

Graphene Oxide Membranes: Toward Sustainable Water Purification

Meng Hu, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University

Abstract
Membrane technology bears great potential to alleviate the global water crisis; yet energy efficiency and membrane fouling are among the major challenges facing sustainable water purification by membrane processes. The talk presents our research on developing highly efficient membranes based on graphene oxide and the implications for engineering next generation membrane technology. Graphene oxide (GO) is a two-dimensional material with a single layer carbon lattice, which is decorated with oxygenated functional groups on the basal plane as well as on the edges. Two facile methods were introduced to synthesize GO membranes, which allow almost frictionless water flow through the nano-channels created by the GO nanosheets. The GO membranes exhibit a water flux up to an order of magnitude higher than commercial membranes, drastically improving energy efficiency in membrane processes. Of equal significance is the capacity of GO to endow membranes with advanced properties that further promote sustainability in membrane technology. Two of such features are fouling resistance and effective removal of emerging contaminants, which will be presented.