Intercalation of HKUST-1: A strategy for conferring GOM with accurate size-sieving, self-cleaning, and antibacterial multi-functionalities

Precise regulation of pore sizes and fouling issues related to filter cake formation and bacterial growth continue to impede the practical application of GOMs. Though metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with specific structures and semiconductor features are a potential candidate for addressing the above issues, it is still difficult to accurately control the GOM pore with MOFs, due to the difficulty of removing interfacial gaps. In this study, we successfully employed the specific pore size of HKUST-1 (Cu-BTC, BTC: benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate) to control the channel size of GOMs by self-assembling a pH-regulated HKUST-1/GO dispersion, followed by moderate- to high-temperature vacuum drying. Consequently, the incorporation of HKUST-1 dramatically influenced the rejection performance of GOMs, enabling the selective rejection of molecules larger than 9 Å (e.g., Rh B, CV, and TB) while effectively separating sub-9 Å impurities (e.g., MB and NaCl), and resulting in a nearly 14-fold increase in water flux. Moreover, the photodegradation and Cu2+ release properties of HKUST-1 endowed the GO@HKUST-1 membrane (GHM) with remarkable self-cleaning, antibacterial and long-term stable characteristics. Our approach provides a simple and universal method for conferring GOM with accurate size-sieving, self-cleaning, and antibacterial multi-functionalities, thereby enabling high-quality and sustainable molecular separation and dye desalination.