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Updated: Mar 20, 2026
Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification
Published on: April 7, 2017
Low-Fouling Antibacterial Reverse Osmosis Membranes via Surface Grafting of Graphene Oxide
Xinwei Huang1, Kristofer L Marsh1, Brian T McVerry1
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles , Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.
Abstract:
Azide-functionalized graphene oxide (AGO) was covalently anchored onto commercial reverse osmosis (RO) membrane surfaces via azide photochemistry. Surface modification was carried out by coating the RO membrane with an aqueous dispersion of AGO followed by UV exposure under ambient conditions. This simple process produces a hydrophilic, smooth, antibacterial membrane with limited reduction in water permeability or salt selectivity. The GO-RO membrane exhibited a 17-fold reduction in biofouling after 24 h of Escherichia coli contact and almost 2 times reduced BSA fouling after a 1 week cross-flow test compared to its unmodified counterpart.
