Efficient separation of hydrogen isotopes in water based on UV irradiation-modulated graphene oxide membranes: A dramatic increase in permeation fluxes

Hydrogen isotope separation is essential in industrial and scientific applications. Traditional methods such as rectification and electrolysis are energy intensive and complex. In recent years, graphene oxide membranes (GOMs) have received widespread attention as a new type of membrane separation material. However, recent reports indicate that it has a lower permeability flux, which reduces its practicality. In this study, an innovative method for hydrogen isotope separation was proposed, utilizing hot vapor-air gap membrane distillation (HV-AGMD) with UV-treated GOMs. By adjusting the competitive relationship between the free diffusion of H 2 O/D 2 O and the adsorption-desorption mechanism, the osmotic flux is increased by about 10 times to 9.36 L·m −2 ·h −1 . This study also optimized the pH, concentration and GO dosage of the dispersion for preparing GOMs. These findings provide valuable insights for achieving cost-effective separation of hydrogen isotopes in water.