Membrane-based separations play an important role in industries ranging from chemical manufacturing to wastewater treatment. However, established polymeric membranes face challenges in handling increasingly complex feedstocks and harsher operating conditions, in which throughput, stability, selectivity, and fouling are major issues. Researchers are developing newer classes of membrane materials that can address these emerging challenges...
One such class of materials is reduced graphene oxide (rGO), a chemically modified form of graphene oxide with controlled levels of oxygenated groups. The two-dimensional rGO nanosheets can be stacked into layered thin films (roughly 10–150 nm) to form membranes that have narrow (roughly 1 nm) spaces for permeation between the layers. These “interlayer spaces” act as tunable nano-sieves, selectively allowing molecules such as water to pass through while blocking or slowing down other species.
While rGO membranes have shown major advantages in throughput, chemical stability, and fouling resistance, new approaches are necessary to control the microstructure of the interlayer spaces so that rGO membranes can be designed for specific applications. Embedding a variety of...
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