Enhanced antipressure ability through graphene oxide membrane by intercalating g-C3N4 nanosheets for water purification

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes have shown great potential for water purification, but their permeability and antipressure ability are poor, which limits their practical applications. In this study, two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) nanosheet-intercalated GO (GOCN) membranes were developed to improve the separation performance of GO membranes, especially under high operating pressure. After incorporation of the g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets, the amount of permeable nanochannels (wrinkles or corrugation) in the membrane increased; hence, the water permeance was effectively improved (twice as high as that of GO membranes). Moreover, the antipressure performance of the GOCN membranes was significantly enhanced (even below 0.5 MPa pressure) as the nanochannels in the composite membranes become stable and rigid due to the support of the pressure-resistant g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets. The good separation performance demonstrates that the intercalation of g-C 3 N 4 is an effective strategy to improve the GO-based membrane properties, which can promote their application in water purification.