Enhanced antifouling performance of polyvinyl alcohol membranes via magnetite-graphene oxide nanocomposite modification
- 1Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; Regional Water and Environmental Sanitation Centre, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- 2Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- 3Department of Chemical Engineering, Kumasi Technical University, Kumasi, Ghana; Corresponding author.
Abstract
Addressing the persistent trade-off between permeability, selectivity, and fouling resistance remains a central challenge in advancing polymeric membranes for sustainable wastewater treatment. Here, we present a high-performance mixed- matrix membrane (MMM) platform that leverages interfacial coordination chemistry between binary magnetite ( Fe 3 O 4 ) and graphene oxide (GO) nanostructures to reconstruct the internal microarchitecture of a hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix. By co-assembling Fe 2 + / Fe 3 + metallic centres with oxygenated GO domains, the nanohybrid suppresses nanoscale agglomeration and constructs continuous low-tortuosity fluid transport channels. Systematic characterisation (FTIR, 1 H NMR, SEM–EDX, XRD, and Zeta potential) confirmed enhanced interfacial surface dynamics, tuned surface charge, and increased hydrophilicity. Compared to the pristine PVA control, which suffered from severe fouling (73.2% total fouling ratio; 26.8% flux recovery ratio (FRR)) and modest performance (57.2 L ⋅ m − 2 ⋅ h − 1 pure water flux (PWF); 52.5% methylene blue (MB) rejection), the optimised 0.6 wt% Fe 3 O 4 / GO (PVA-F0.6/G0.6) membrane effectively overcomes conventional performance trade-offs. It achieved a high porosity of 73.6%, an elevated PWF of 85.1 L ⋅ m − 2 ⋅ h − 1 , and a 90.1% MB rejection efficiency, alongside exceptional antifouling durability marked by a 94.0% FRR and an ultra-low irreversible fouling resistance of just 6.0%. This coordinated nanohybrid design offers a robust, scalable strategy for engineering next-generation, antifouling polymeric membranes for advanced water purification.
Related
- Unravelling structure–property–performance relationships in nanocomposite membranes using principal component analysis
- Polymer-modified MXene thin-film nanocomposite membranes for forward osmosis
- Multifunctional polycaprolactone–lignin–silver nanocomposite membranes for simultaneous removal of heavy metal, nutrient and microbial contaminants from wastewater
- Response-surface optimization of high-performance GO-PET-PEG forward osmosis membranes for bentazone removal
- Development and Evaluation of Filtration Performance of ZnO-Doped PEI Composite Membranes
BibTeX
@article{maisie2026enhanced,
title = {{Enhanced antifouling performance of polyvinyl alcohol membranes via magnetite-graphene oxide nanocomposite modification}},
author = {Wilhemina Frazer Maisie and Paul Osei and Stephanie Asantewaa Brenya-Biney and Elikplim Nyabi and Sampson Kofi Kyei and Francis Opoku and Eric Selorm Agorku},
journal = {Next Sustainability},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.nxsust.2026.100560},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nxsust.2026.100560},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Enhanced antifouling performance of polyvinyl alcohol membranes via magnetite-graphene oxide nanocomposite modification
AU - Wilhemina Frazer Maisie
AU - Paul Osei
AU - Stephanie Asantewaa Brenya-Biney
AU - Elikplim Nyabi
AU - Sampson Kofi Kyei
AU - Francis Opoku
AU - Eric Selorm Agorku
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Next Sustainability
DO - 10.1016/j.nxsust.2026.100560
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nxsust.2026.100560
AB - Addressing the persistent trade-off between permeability, selectivity, and fouling resistance remains a central challenge in advancing polymeric membranes for sustainable wastewater treatment. Here, we present a high-performance mixed- matrix membrane (MMM) platform that leverages interfacial coordination chemistry between binary magnetite ( Fe 3 O 4 ) and graphene oxide (GO) nanostructures to reconstruct the internal microarchitecture of a hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix. By co-assembling Fe 2 + / Fe 3 + metallic centres with oxygenated GO domains, the nanohybrid suppresses nanoscale agglomeration and constructs continuous low-tortuosity fluid transport channels. Systematic characterisation (FTIR, 1 H NMR, SEM–EDX, XRD, and Zeta potential) confirmed enhanced interfacial surface dynamics, tuned surface charge, and increased hydrophilicity. Compared to the pristine PVA control, which suffered from severe fouling (73.2% total fouling ratio; 26.8% flux recovery ratio (FRR)) and modest performance (57.2 L ⋅ m − 2 ⋅ h − 1 pure water flux (PWF); 52.5% methylene blue (MB) rejection), the optimised 0.6 wt% Fe 3 O 4 / GO (PVA-F0.6/G0.6) membrane effectively overcomes conventional performance trade-offs. It achieved a high porosity of 73.6%, an elevated PWF of 85.1 L ⋅ m − 2 ⋅ h − 1 , and a 90.1% MB rejection efficiency, alongside exceptional antifouling durability marked by a 94.0% FRR and an ultra-low irreversible fouling resistance of just 6.0%. This coordinated nanohybrid design offers a robust, scalable strategy for engineering next-generation, antifouling polymeric membranes for advanced water purification.
SN - 2949-8236
ER -