Fabrication of reduced graphene oxide membranes for highly efficient water desalination

Abstract

Membrane desalination technologies have become important energy-efficient means to ensure freshwater resources all over the world. The well-defined nanochannels and high water permeability of graphene-based membranes give them properties of purification and desalination. In this work, reduced graphene oxide membranes are fabricated using dopamine followed by vacuum filtration. The resultant membranes allow faster permeation of water compared with pristine graphene oxide membranes, but a higher retention rate of solutes. The increase of interaction between functional groups of reduced graphene oxide and the ions or water molecules was responsible for these excellent performances, which made graphene-based membranes promising materials used in desalination and water treatment.