Recent Developments in Nanoporous Graphene Membranes for Organic Solvent Nanofiltration: A Short Review

Abstract

Graphene-based membranes are promising candidates for efficient organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) processes because of their unique structural characteristics, such as mechanical/chemical stability and precise molecular sieving. Recently, to improve organic solvent permeance and selectivity, nanopores have been fabricated on graphene planes via chemical and physical methods. The nanopores serve as an additional channel for facilitating ultrafast solvent permeation while filtering organic molecules by size exclusion. This review summarizes the recent developments in nanoporous graphene (NG)-based membranes for OSN applications. The membranes are categorized depending on the membrane structure: single-layer NG, multilayer NG, and graphene-based composite membranes hybridized with other porous materials. Techniques for nanopore generation on graphene, as well as the challenges faced and the perspectives required for the commercialization of NG membranes, are also discussed.

Fabrication and prospective applications of graphene oxide-modified nanocomposites for wastewater remediation

“…So, achieving large NPG membranes can be manufactured in a scalable manner and cost effectives with a required pore size, keeping graphene's intrinsic structural integrity while narrowing the size distribution remains a serious problem. 64 The disadvantages of NPG for desalination include the difficulty of achieving a narrow size distribution of holes with high density, as well as the fact that these tiny shafts produced in graphene limited the permeation of water. The entire process of composing NPG requires extreme caution, even if a high degree of water permeability is attained.…”

Advancements of 2D Materials-Based Membranes

“…Due to their unique structural features and precise molecular sieving ability, 2D nanomaterials are intriguing candidates for effective organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membranes. In the review by Nam et al [5], the focus was to describe the most current methods for fabricating nanoporous graphene (NG)-based membranes, including single-layer NG, multilayer graphene laminates, and multilayer NG laminates, and their applications in OSN processes. Additionally, techniques for generating nanopores on graphene were explored, as well as the problems related to pore engineering and opportunities associated with the commercialization of NG membranes.…”