Printed graphene oxide-based membranes for gas separation and carbon capture

Graphene oxide (GO)-based separation membranes have demonstrated the great potential to separate molecules and ions by the interlayer spacing with tunable nano sized channels. The scalable fabrication of GO-based gas separation membranes, however, remains challenging, although a few preparation approaches have been reported. In this work, we present for the first time that the co-solvent ink-jet printing, as a fast and scalable method, can be utilized for scalable GO-based gas separation membrane preparation. Large-area (>100 cm(2)), ultrathin, and high-quality GO membrane was successfully deposited on commercial polysulfone (PS) support, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction, et al., Selective hydrogen (H-2) and helium (He) transport over carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N-2) was demonstrated for the printed GO membrane. To further explore the separation potential of the printed GO-based gas membrane, additives for facilitated molecular transport were incorporated during the membrane printing process. By inserting CO2-philic agents into the printed GO membrane, highly efficient separation of CO2 from N-2 was achieved with CO2/N-2 selectivity of 70 and CO2 permeance as high as 2,500 GPU. The strategy proposed here may provide guidance for large-scale GO-based gas separation membrane production and a versatile approach for applying other functional 2-dimensional materials towards the membrane separation application.

Automated summary

In this study, a fast and scalable method using co-solvent ink-jet printing was successfully employed to prepare large-area, ultrathin, high-quality GO membranes for gas separation applications. The printed GO membrane demonstrated selective transport for hydrogen and helium over carbon dioxide and nitrogen, showing great potential for large-scale production of GO-based gas separation membranes and versatile use of other 2-dimensional materials for membrane applications.