Incorporation of graphene oxide in polyethersulfone mixed matrix membranes to enhance hemodialysis membrane performance

Abstract

Graphene is a carbon allotrope and possesses numerous unique properties which make it an attractive material in many areas. In this work, graphene oxide (GO) was added to polyethersulfone (PES) mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) to improve the performance of hemodialysis membranes. GO was synthesized from tartaric acid by pyrolysis with various temperatures of the pyrolysis and the membrane was fabricated by a casting solution method followed by its characterization. The MMMs showed better mechanical properties than pristine PES with a tensile stress and tensile strain value of 5.55 MPa and 0.039 m, respectively. The hydrophilicity of the membranes which is in agreement with contact angle values showed that GO addition increased the hydrophilicity of the MMMs. Hence, the solute flux and clearance of creatinine gave values of 2.94 L m⁻² h⁻¹ and 78.3%, respectively. Cross sectional images and the surface morphology were also recorded using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The resulting data proved that the modified MMMs can be a potential material for hemodialysis.