Spraying synthesis and ion permeation in polyvinyl chloride/graphene oxide membranes

An inexpensive kind of paper-like (film) membranes was synthesized by a new simple spraying-coating method to reject ions from water. Polyvinyl Chloride/Graphene Oxide membranes resulted to be flexible films, their morphology, stability and permeation changed with GO concentration (0-40 GO wt%). Each GOM presented one smooth and one rough surface. Contact angle measurements confirmed a maximum perceptible difference of approximately 30 degrees between both surfaces of the same GOM. Hydrophilicity and permeability of GOM were enhanced with the amount of GO as was revealed by Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. Permeation rejection was between 82 and 97%, in the same order or better than membranes synthetized with other methods. It was found that both the diffusion coefficient and tortuosity values were 2 x 10(-7) cm(2) s(-1) and 14, respectively, which are in the range of those reported for ion transport within a nanoporous medium with high tortuosity. These paper-like films could be cost - effective candidates for ion rejection due to its ease of fabrication at low cost and long-term stability under laboratory conditions.