The preparation of anti-fouling dual-layer composite membrane with embedding graphene oxide

Fouling is one of the most challenging issues faced by membrane technology. One possible approach to address membrane fouling is incorporating hydrophilic materials into the membrane matrix. Graphene oxide (GO) can be a potential candidate due to its hydrophilicity, if its cost could be significantly reduced. In this study, a GO-polysulfone (PSF) composite membrane is fabricated with a thin GO-PSF active layer and a PSF substrate. The obtained membrane shows good anti-fouling property in real sewage system, compared with the pristine PSF membrane, and the flux recovery ratio is enhanced by 20%–30%. In addition, the antibacterial property of GO-PSF membrane to Escherichia coli is enhanced. The work provides a guidance to improve the performance membranes and reduce the cost.