Ultrafiltration using graphene oxide surface-embedded polysulfone membranes

The effect of a hydrophilic layer of graphene oxide on polysulfone membranes was investigated to improve the antifouling properties of the membrane in ultrafiltration. Polysulfone membranes were obtained by the phase inversion method. Polyvinylpyrrolidone was added to generate pores in the membranes, and then a layer of graphene oxide was deposited on the prepared membranes using a vacuum-assisted filtration technique. This study investigated the cross-section/surface morphology, the water-contact angle, and the chemical structure of the prepared polysulfone/graphene oxide membranes. Due to the highly oxygenated structure of the graphene oxide, the surface hydrophilicity of the polysulfone membrane was significantly increased by applying a layer of graphene oxide. Moreover, the antifouling abilities of the membranes were evaluated by comparing the water-flux recovery ratio between the pure water flux before and after ultrafiltration.