Preparation of a graphene/silver hybrid membrane as a new nanofiltration membrane

Abstract

In this study, we describe the preparation, characterization, water flux and rejection performance of a composite membrane formed from reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and silver nanoparticles (AgNP) via a rapid thermal reduction method. The nanocomposite is characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The average diameter of the Ag nanoparticles is around 20–40 nm. The RGO membranes and RGO–AgNP composite membranes were prepared by vacuum filtration of RGO–AgNPs dispersions through mixed cellulose filter membranes. We evaluated the water separation performance of the membranes, including water flux and rejection rate. The water flux is not only related to the concentration of silver particles and to the volume of solution used. High water flux and high rates of rejection of rhodamine B (85–99.9%) are achieved.