Doping MIL-101(Cr)@GO in polyamide nanocomposite membranes with improved water flux

Abstract Facile reverse osmosis membranes with different doping concentrations of metal organic framework MIL-101(Cr)@graphene oxide (GO) were synthesized for desalination by interfacial polymerization, and the MIL-101(Cr) polyhedral particles were encapsulated with GO nanosheets. Contact angles of thin film nanocomposite membranes decrease with the increased concentration of MIL-101(Cr)@GO, suggesting improved surface hydrophilicity. And desirable doping can enhance both water flux and NaCl rejection. For example, with a doping concentration of 0.01%, water flux of the membranes can be increased from 20.49 L/m2·h to 37.95 L/m2·h by 85.21% along with slightly improved NaCl rejection. Our findings indicate that MIL-101(Cr)@GO composite particles can be developed as an effective additive material to fabricate thin film nanocomposite reverse osmosis membranes for desalination applications.