Optimized permeation and antifouling of PVDF hybrid ultrafiltration membranes: synergistic effect of dispersion and migration for fluorinated graphene oxide

Nanoparticles may have suffered from low modification efficiency in hybrid membranes due to embedding and aggregating in polymer matrix. In order to analyze the modification mechanisms of nanoparticle migration and dispersion on the properties of hybrid membranes, we designed different F/O ratios (R _F/O ) of fluorinated graphene oxide (FGO, diameter = 1.5 ~ 17.5 μm) by carbon tetrafluoride (CF₄) plasma treatment GO for 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min and successfully prepared novel PVDF hybrid membranes containing FGO via the phase inversion method. After a prolonged plasma treatment, the R _F/O of FGO was enhanced sharply, indicating an increasing compatibility of FGO with the matrix, especially FGO-20 (GO treated for 20 min). FGO contents in the top layer, sublayer, and the whole of membranes were probed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometer, and indirect computation, respectively. In the top layer of membranes, FGO contents declined from 13.14 wt% (PVDF/GO) to 4.00 wt% (PVDF/FGO-10) and 1.96 wt% (PVDF/FGO-20) due to the reduced migration ability of FGO. It is worth mentioning that PVDF/FGO-10 membranes exhibited an excellent water flux and flux recovery rate (up to 406.90 L m⁻² h⁻¹ and 88.9%), which were improved by 67.3% and 14.6% and 52.5% and 24.0% compared with those of PVDF/GO and PVDF/FGO-20 membranes, respectively, although the dispersion and migration ability of FGO-10 was maintained at a moderate level. It indicated that the migration and dispersion of FGO in membranes could result in dynamic equilibrium, which played a key role in making the best use of nanomaterials to optimize membrane performance.