Highly permeable and antioxidative graphene oxide membranes for concentration of hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution

Hydrogen peroxide, as a green oxidant, received broad and increasing applications. Membrane technology affords a promising solution to achieve in-situ production and concentration of hydrogen peroxide. Membrane material selection and structure design remain a grand challenge arising from the strong oxidation property of hydrogen peroxide. Herein, we explored graphene oxide membranes to concentrate hydrogen peroxide for the first time. By manipulating the cross-linking process of thiourea molecules, the interlayer channel size can be tuned in the range of 2.9-3.2 angstrom, ensuring the distinct molecular sieving between water and hydrogen peroxide. The graphene oxide membranes displayed superior separation performance with separation factor of 22.8 and permeation flux of 18.2 kg m(- 2) h(-1). Compared with conventionally water-permeable membranes, graphene oxide membranes exhibit excellent antioxidative ability and stability in the 168 h operation test.

Automated summary

Hydrogen peroxide, a green oxidant, has broad and increasing applications. Membrane technology offers a promising solution for in-situ production and concentration of hydrogen peroxide. Graphene oxide membranes show superior separation performance and antioxidative ability compared to conventional water-permeable membranes.