Probing the role of hydrolytically stable, 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane crosslinked chitosan/graphene oxide membrane towards Congo red dye adsorption

In this investigation, the practicability of utilizing 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (3-APTES) crosslinked chitosan (Ch)/graphene oxide (GO) membranes were explored for adsorptive removal of anionic dyes from aqueous medium. Membranes were successfully fabricated through solution casting technique. Strong interactions amongst matrix (chitosan), 3-APTES, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and GO were confirmed by Infrared spectroscopy. Thermal stability of the chitosan was improved by adding graphene oxide and results were verified via thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis. Swelling and hydrolytic results confirmed that 2 %-Ch/PVP was a stable membrane while increasing the amount of 3-APTES in the chitosan nanocomposites membrane decreased its stability in aqueous medium. The adsorption characteristics of the membranes were evaluated by the adsorption of Congo red (CR) dye from aqueous medium. The adsorbent can remove 80% of CR from aqueous medium and follows second order kinetics. This study outlines the possibility of exploring green membranes which can be easily fit in various flow systems. [Display omitted] •A green novel chitosan/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite membrane was synthesized.•Chitosan/GO membrane showed promising results for the removal of toxic dye, this membrane can be used for the potential applications as adsorbent (membrane separation technology).•Swelling and hydrolytic study exposed the other possible uses/application of membranes.•Results showed the possibility of exploring a new hybrid system for contaminants removal which can be incorporated in various flow systems and can be easily recovered.