D-spacing controllable GO membrane intercalated by sodium tetraborate pentahydrate for dye contamination wastewater treatment

Sodium tetraborate pentahydrate (STB) was intercalated into graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets to form a nanocomposite ([email protected]). Subsequently, it was self-assembled on a substrate membrane to prepare [email protected] nanofiltration membrane. The properties of the [email protected] powder samples and the nanofiltration membrane were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), contact angle (CA), and zeta potential. When the STB concentration was 1.0 g/L in the cross-linking reaction, the membrane was described as the STB2@GO membrane and exhibited a large interlayer space (d-spacing = 1.347 nm), high hydrophilicity (CA = 22.2°), and high negative potential (zeta = −18.0 mV). Meanwhile, the pure water flux of the membrane was significantly increased by 56.60% than that of the GO membrane. In addition, the STB2@GO membrane exhibited a favorable capability for dye rejection,98.52% for Evans blue (EB), 99.26% for Victoria blue B (VB), 91.94% for Alizarin yellow (AY), and 93.21% for Neutral red (NR). Furthermore, the STB2@GO membrane performed better in dye separation under various types and concentrations of dye, pH values, and ions in solution. Thus, this study provides a promising method for preparing laminated GO nanofiltration membranes for dye wastewater treatment.