Advantages, limitations, and future suggestions in studying graphene-based desalination membranes

The potential of novel 2D carbon materials such as nanoporous single-layer graphene and multilayer graphene oxide membranes is based on their possible advantages such as high water permeability, high selectivity capable of rejecting monovalent ions, with high salt rejection, reduced fouling, and high chemical and physical stability. Here we review how the field has advanced in the study of their performances in various desalination approaches such as reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, nanofiltration, membrane distillation, and solar water purification. The research on making high-performance graphene membranes which started with reverse osmosis applications is seemingly evolving towards other directions.

Automated summary

Novel 2D carbon materials such as nanoporous single-layer graphene and multilayer graphene oxide membranes show great potential in various desalination approaches due to their high water permeability, selectivity, salt rejection, reduced fouling, and stability. Research on high-performance graphene membranes, initially focused on reverse osmosis applications, appears to be expanding towards other directions.