Fouling‐Resistant Polyethersulfone/Graphene Hydroxyl Nanocomposite Membranes for High‐Performance Naphthol Blue Black Dye Filtration
Pouya Moradi, Ehsan Saljoughi, Seyed Mahmoud Mousavi, Hamed Karkhanechi, Amirreza Malekzadeh Dirin
Abstract
ABSTRACT This work explores boosting the performance of Polyethersulfone (PES) membranes by embedding Graphene Hydroxyl (GOH) nanoparticles through the Non‐solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. The GOH content ranged from 0 to 1.0 wt%, aimed at improving hydrophilicity, mechanical strength, and resistance to fouling. Comprehensive analyses, including FESEM, AFM, FTIR, and contact angle measurements, revealed that a GOH concentration of 0.5 wt% provided an optimal structure, achieving a porosity of 71.9% and a contact angle close to 43°. Performance assessments demonstrated a remarkable 164% rise in pure water flux and a flux recovery ratio of 78.5% for the 0.5 wt% GOH membrane, while maintaining dye rejection above 95%. Conversely, higher GOH concentrations led to nanoparticle aggregation, which diminished porosity and flux. The findings confirm that GOH‐modified PES membranes offer an excellent balance between permeability and selectivity, making them highly suitable for advanced filtration applications.