Influence of Ag Nanoparticle Loading on Dye and Salt Removal Efficiency of Graphene Oxide Membranes
type: CreativeWork
description: Nano-engineered materials, particularly two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials and advanced desalination membranes, are poised to play a transformative role in addressing global water scarcity through efficient purification technologies. Among these, graphene oxide (GO)-based nanofiltration membranes have emerged as promising candidates due to their high mechanical strength, tunable surface chemistry, and exceptional molecular sieving properties. However, despite these advantages, the practical deployment of GO membranes in aqueous environments is hindered by critical limitations, most notably, structural swelling and interlayer expansion due to water intercalation. This phenomenon compromises the long-term selectivity and ion/dye rejection performance of the membranes. To mitigate these drawbacks, the incorporation of nanoparticles such as silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) has been explored to enhance membrane stability, reduce swelling, and improve overall filtration efficiency. Ag NPs not only stabilize the GO structure through interlayer interactions but also contribute antimicrobial and fouling-resistant properties, making them ideal candidates for wastewater treatment applications. While numerous studies have demonstrated the performance enhancement of GO membranes upon Ag NP incorporation, a systematic understanding of how Ag NP concentration affects rejection performance, particularly for organic dyes, remains incomplete. This research aims to address that gap by investigating the role of Ag NP loading concentration on the structural and functional properties of GO membranes. GO–Ag NP composite membranes were fabricated on polyether sulfone (PES) substrates via vacuum-assisted filtration, utilizing a series of Ag NP loadings to evaluate their influence on nanofiltration performance. A comprehensive suite of characterization techniques was employed: X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to assess changes in interlayer spacing (d-spa…
abstract: Nano-engineered materials, particularly two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials and advanced desalination membranes, are poised to play a transformative role in addressing global water scarcity through efficient purification technologies. Among these, graphene oxide (GO)-based nanofiltration membranes have emerged as promising candidates due to their high mechanical strength, tunable surface chemistry, and exceptional molecular sieving properties. However, despite these advantages, the practical deployment of GO membranes in aqueous environments is hindered by critical limitations, most notably, structural swelling and interlayer expansion due to water intercalation. This phenomenon compromises the long-term selectivity and ion/dye rejection performance of the membranes. To mitigate these drawbacks, the incorporation of nanoparticles such as silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) has been explored to enhance membrane stability, reduce swelling, and improve overall filtration efficiency. Ag NPs not only stabilize the GO structure through interlayer interactions but also contribute antimicrobial and fouling-resistant properties, making them ideal candidates for wastewater treatment applications. While numerous studies have demonstrated the performance enhancement of GO membranes upon Ag NP incorporation, a systematic understanding of how Ag NP concentration affects rejection performance, particularly for organic dyes, remains incomplete. This research aims to address that gap by investigating the role of Ag NP loading concentration on the structural and functional properties of GO membranes. GO–Ag NP composite membranes were fabricated on polyether sulfone (PES) substrates via vacuum-assisted filtration, utilizing a series of Ag NP loadings to evaluate their influence on nanofiltration performance. A comprehensive suite of characterization techniques was employed: X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to assess changes in interlayer spacing (d-spa…
author: Bozoian, Sahag Setrak 1996-
language: English
keywords: Engineering, Materials
date published: 2025-05
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:32:32Z
provider: University of Houston
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Houston

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19500