title: Large-area graphene-based nanofiltration membranes by shear alignment of discotic nematic liquid crystals of graphene oxide.
abstract: Graphene-based membranes demonstrating ultrafast water transport, precise molecular sieving of gas and solvated molecules shows great promise as novel separation platforms; however, scale-up of these membranes to large-areas remains an unresolved problem. Here we demonstrate that the discotic nematic phase of graphene oxide (GO) can be shear aligned to form highly ordered, continuous, thin films of multi-layered GO on a support membrane by an industrially adaptable method to produce large-area membranes (13 × 14 cm(2)) in <5 s. Pressure driven transport data demonstrate high retention (>90%) for charged and uncharged organic probe molecules with a hydrated radius above 5 Å as well as modest (30-40%) retention of monovalent and divalent salts. The highly ordered graphene sheets in the plane of the membrane make organized channels and enhance the permeability (71 ± 5 l m(-2) hr(-1) bar(-1) for 150 ± 15 nm thick membranes).
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Abozar
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6540-4570
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbari
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sheath
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Samuel T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Dhanraj B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Shinde
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Mahdokht
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shaibani
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Parama Chakraborty
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tkacz
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, USA.
authors.forename: Dibakar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Mainak
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majumder