Utilization of MOF-enhanced hydrophilic nanocomposite reverse osmosis membrane for desalination with antifouling capabilities

Cellulose acetate (CA) membranes used in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination techniques often face fouling challenges. In this experimental study, the phase inversion method was employed to investigate the incorporation of graphene oxide nanoparticles (GONP) metal–organic frameworks (MOF), into the casting solution for composite CA‐RO membranes. The effects of varying GONP concentrations on fouling resistance and hydrophilicity were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurements, and water content analysis. The results demonstrated that the modified CA membrane with 0.05 wt% GONP exhibited improved water permeability (10.3 L/m2 h) and salt rejection (95.8%) compared with the pristine CA membrane. These improvements stem from increased hydrophilicity and reduced fouling. This study's findings suggest that incorporating GONP into the polymeric doped solution can effectively mitigate fouling issues and enhance the performance of RO membranes in desalination applications.Highlights GONP enhances hydrophilicity, reducing fouling in desalination. Effects of varying GONP concentrations were studied. GONP‐CA membrane shows better permeability and salt rejection than pristine. Nanocomposite membranes promise in overcoming fouling in RO membranes.