Graphene oxide-TiO2 composite filtration membranes and their potential application for water purification

Graphene oxide-particle composite films with filtration function have been successfully synthesized by a two-step method. First, graphene oxide-TiO2 composite sheets are prepared, which can form stable dispersion in water. Then, by assembling these composite sheets, graphene oxide-TiO2 films are obtained. In these as-prepared films, dilated space and channels are desirably formed by introducing nanoparticles between these carbon sheets, making them promising separation membranes. We used these films as filtration membranes to remove dye molecules (methyl orange and rhodamine B) from water. The results show that apart from the adsorption capacities of these dyes, these graphene oxide-TiO2 films can also capture additional amount of dye molecules, indicating their potential applications in water purification areas. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.