A novel approach for oil/water separation: Integrating nano-ZnO with graphene oxide membranes via dopamine and KH550
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2024
Abstract
Graphene oxide-based membranes, known for unique permeability and selectivity in oil/water separation, face limitations due to low flux and weak anti-fouling performance. To overcome these challenges, a series of GO@ZnO membranes were synthesized in a one-pot process, doping different amounts of nano-ZnO into GO with the aid of polydopamine (PDA) and 3-triethoxysilylpropylamine (KH550). This study found that evenly distributed nano-ZnO within the GO layers acted as hydrophilic intercalators, creating continuous rough nanochannels and increased interlayer spacing for effective water transport. The membrane M-5 demonstrated a significant increase in water permeability, reaching 5718 +/- 151 L m- 2 h-1 bar- 1 , nearly 20 times higher than the control group (M-0) without ZnO doping. Anti-fouling tests, using four different oil/water emulsions, showed that M-5 consistently achieved oil rejection rates above 99.7 %. Furthermore, M-5 exhibited a flux recovery rate (FRR) of 95.5 %, surpassing M-0 by 34.6 %. Regeneration experiments confirmed that M-5 maintained an impressive oil rejection rate of 99.2 % after 30 recycling cycles. These results indicate that nano-ZnO enhances surface roughness and hydration layers, significantly improving water permeability without compromising rejection rate and anti-fouling performance. The study presents a straightforward approach to creating continuous nanochannels and hydrophilic layers in two-dimensional laminar GO membranes, highlighting the potential of GO@ZnO membranes in oil-water treatment applications.
Keywords
Oil/water separation, Nano-ZnO, Intercalation, Graphene oxide nanosheets, PDA and KH550
Divisions
creative
Funders
State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation (Southwest Petroleum University) (PLN2020-20),Foundation of Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology and Scientific Research (GPKLMB202102),Starting Project of Southwest Petroleum University (2019QHZ004)
Publication Title
Surfaces and Interfaces
Volume
51
Publisher
Elsevier
Publisher Location
RADARWEG 29, 1043 NX AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS