Nanofiltration performance of glutaraldehyde crosslinked graphene oxide-cellulose nanofiber membrane

Cellulose nanofibers have been widely used in membrane fabrication due to their unique structure, hydrophilicity, sustainability, facile surface modification, and low cost. In this study, the efficient combination of the precise molecular sieving characteristics of graphene oxide (GO) and the high permeability of the cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) network is demonstrated. GO nanosheets were incorporated into the CNF matrix using a facile vacuum filtration technique followed by chemical cross-linking. Cross-linking with glutaraldehyde not only resisted membrane swelling but also improved molecular selectivity. The nanofiltration performance of prepared membranes was evaluated in both aqueous and organic solutions. The optimized crosslinked membranes exhibited a pure solvent flux of 13.9 ± 1.9 Lm−2h−1bar−1 and 4.1 ± 0.35 Lm−2h−1bar−1 for water and ethanol respectively, while maintaining a rejection above 90% for Rose Bengal and Brilliant Blue dyes.