Graphene and graphene oxide: advanced membranes for gas separation and water purification

Advanced membrane systems with excellent permeance are important for controllable separation processes, such as gas separation and water purification. The ideal candidate materials should be very thin to provide high permeance, be stiff enough to withstand working under high applied pressure, with a large surface area and micro-or nano-pore structure for excellent selectivity. Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets are graphene with oxygen-containing functional groups, obtained by treating graphite with strong oxidizers. Graphene-based materials, by virtue of their high mechanical strength, large surface area, single-atom-thick unique two-dimensional honeycomb lattice structure, and narrow pore distribution, provide exciting opportunities to assemble novel types of advanced, ultra-thin, high-efficiency membrane devices. In this contribution, we discuss the progress made in the direction of using graphene oxide as high-efficiency membranes for gas separation and water purification. The primary focus will be on introducing the fabrication processes, exceptional properties, and innovative membrane applications of two-dimensional graphene oxide materials for controllable separation processes. This state-of-the-art review will provide a platform for understanding the intricate details of gas and water molecular transport through laminar graphene oxide membranes, as well as a summary of the latest process in the field.