Tailored Graphene Oxide Incorporated PES/CA Mixed‐Matrix Loose Nanofiltration Membranes for Water Softening and Divalent Salt Removal
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Chemical Engineering COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus Lahore Pakistan
- 2Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology University of the Punjab Lahore Pakistan
- 3Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Islamic University of Madinah Madinah Saudi Arabia
- 4Centre of Polymer Systems, University Institute Tomas Bata University in Zlín Zlín Czech Republic
- 5Department of Materials Engineering The University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
- 6Polymer Research Lab, School of Chemical and Materials Engineering (SCME) National University of Sciences and Technology Islamabad Pakistan
Abstract
Achieving a simultaneous enhancement of permeability and selectivity remains a central challenge in nanofiltration membrane design. Here, we report the fabrication of high‐performance polyether sulfone–cellulose acetate (PES/CA) mixed‐matrix membranes via phase inversion, employing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a pore‐forming agent and graphene oxide (GO) as a hydrophilic nanofiller to precisely tailor membrane structure and transport behavior. Systematic characterization using SEM, FTIR, and physicochemical analyses reveals that PVP induces the formation of interconnected finger‐like channels and macrovoids, whereas GO incorporation significantly enhances surface hydrophilicity and interfacial compatibility within the polymer matrix. An optimal GO loading of 1.5 wt.% enables uniform dispersion, maximizing wettability and transport efficiency; in contrast, higher loading (2 wt.%) leads to nanosheet agglomeration, reduced hydrophilicity, and restricted permeation pathways. The synergistic interplay between PVP‐induced porosity and GO‐enhanced surface functionality results in a finely tuned membrane architecture that alleviates the conventional permeability–selectivity trade‐off. The optimized membrane exhibits a stable pure water flux of 95 L m−2 h−1, coupled with improved salt rejection efficiencies of 46% (NaCl), 75% (MgCl2), and 59% (Na2SO4), significantly outperforming pristine PES/CA membranes. These findings demonstrate a scalable and effective strategy for designing loose nanofiltration membranes, offering promising potential for energy‐efficient water softening and divalent salt removal from brackish water.
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BibTeX
@article{batool2026tailored,
title = {{Tailored Graphene Oxide Incorporated PES/CA Mixed‐Matrix Loose Nanofiltration Membranes for Water Softening and Divalent Salt Removal}},
author = {Mehwish Batool and Usman Haidar and Asim Laeeq Khan and Muhammad Yasin and Bilal Haider and Muhammad Yasir and Kashif Mairaj Deen and Nasir M. Ahmad},
journal = {Water Environment Research},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/wer.70637},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.70637},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Tailored Graphene Oxide Incorporated PES/CA Mixed‐Matrix Loose Nanofiltration Membranes for Water Softening and Divalent Salt Removal
AU - Mehwish Batool
AU - Usman Haidar
AU - Asim Laeeq Khan
AU - Muhammad Yasin
AU - Bilal Haider
AU - Muhammad Yasir
AU - Kashif Mairaj Deen
AU - Nasir M. Ahmad
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Water Environment Research
DO - 10.1002/wer.70637
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.70637
AB - Achieving a simultaneous enhancement of permeability and selectivity remains a central challenge in nanofiltration membrane design. Here, we report the fabrication of high‐performance polyether sulfone–cellulose acetate (PES/CA) mixed‐matrix membranes via phase inversion, employing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a pore‐forming agent and graphene oxide (GO) as a hydrophilic nanofiller to precisely tailor membrane structure and transport behavior. Systematic characterization using SEM, FTIR, and physicochemical analyses reveals that PVP induces the formation of interconnected finger‐like channels and macrovoids, whereas GO incorporation significantly enhances surface hydrophilicity and interfacial compatibility within the polymer matrix. An optimal GO loading of 1.5 wt.% enables uniform dispersion, maximizing wettability and transport efficiency; in contrast, higher loading (2 wt.%) leads to nanosheet agglomeration, reduced hydrophilicity, and restricted permeation pathways. The synergistic interplay between PVP‐induced porosity and GO‐enhanced surface functionality results in a finely tuned membrane architecture that alleviates the conventional permeability–selectivity trade‐off. The optimized membrane exhibits a stable pure water flux of 95 L m−2 h−1, coupled with improved salt rejection efficiencies of 46% (NaCl), 75% (MgCl2), and 59% (Na2SO4), significantly outperforming pristine PES/CA membranes. These findings demonstrate a scalable and effective strategy for designing loose nanofiltration membranes, offering promising potential for energy‐efficient water softening and divalent salt removal from brackish water.
SN - 1061-4303
SN - 1554-7531
ER -