Morphological Transformation and Enhanced Water Transport in PVDF Composite Membranes Induced by Carbon Nitride–Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosheets for Ultrafiltration

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Abstract
Nanosheet–polymer composite membranes are widely used in water treatment, such as ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, due to reduced polymer voids and ease of large-scale fabrication. Herein, we report polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite membranes (~ 10 μm thickness) incorporating carbon nitride–reduced graphene oxide (CN-rGO) nanosheets, fabricated by a doctor-blade method. The incorporation of CN-rGO nanosheets induced a morphological transformation in PVDF, suppressing macropore formation and generating a smoother membrane surface, thereby enhancing hydrophilicity. Crosslinking with 1,5-diamino-2-methylpentane (DAMP) further improves the mechanical strength of the membranes. The resulting macroporeless membranes have exhibited approximately twofold higher water flux than crosslinked PVDF membranes, along with a methylene blue rejection of up to 99%. These results demonstrate that the incorporation of CN-rGO provides the formation of continuous nanoscale pathways in PVDF membranes, promising applications in advanced water treatment.

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