Synthesis and engineering of advanced polyamide-functionalized graphene oxide nanocomposite-supported membrane for high-efficiency water purification: Towards sustainable water solutions

The contamination of wastewater with heavy metals poses significant environmental and health risks, necessitating the development of effective filtration technologies. While existing membrane filtration methods have shown promise, there remains a gap in the efficient removal of pollutants, particularly in complex wastewater mixtures. In this study, a novel polyamide-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite membrane was developed to address this challenge. The membrane was synthesized by integrating GO nanoparticles onto a substrate, followed by surface functionalization. The filtration performance was comprehensively evaluated through various techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results demonstrated exceptional removal efficiencies for heavy metals, with rejection rates exceeding 90% for cadmium, barium, and chromium ions. The study also explored the membrane's performance for separating salts, such as carbonate and sulfate ions, and organic pollutants showing a good performance for the rejection of multipollutants. These findings demonstrate the potential of the developed membrane for efficient heavy metal removal in complex wastewater systems.