Large-area graphene-based nanofiltration membranes by shear alignment of discotic nematic liquid crystals of graphene oxide

Abozar Akbari, Phillip Sheath, Samuel T. Martin, Dhanraj B. Shinde, Mahdokht Shaibani, Parama Chakraborty Banerjee, Rachel Tkacz, Dibakar Bhattacharyya and Mainak Majumder ()
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Abozar Akbari: Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University
Phillip Sheath: Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University
Samuel T. Martin: Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University
Dhanraj B. Shinde: Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University
Mahdokht Shaibani: Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University
Parama Chakraborty Banerjee: Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University
Rachel Tkacz: Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University
Dibakar Bhattacharyya: University of Kentucky
Mainak Majumder: Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Graphene-based membranes demonstrating ultrafast water transport, precise molecular sieving of gas and solvated molecules shows great promise as novel separation platforms; however, scale-up of these membranes to large-areas remains an unresolved problem. Here we demonstrate that the discotic nematic phase of graphene oxide (GO) can be shear aligned to form highly ordered, continuous, thin films of multi-layered GO on a support membrane by an industrially adaptable method to produce large-area membranes (13 × 14 cm2) in 90%) for charged and uncharged organic probe molecules with a hydrated radius above 5 Å as well as modest (30–40%) retention of monovalent and divalent salts. The highly ordered graphene sheets in the plane of the membrane make organized channels and enhance the permeability (71±5 l m−2 hr−1 bar−1 for 150±15 nm thick membranes).

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10891

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