Self-assembled Positively Charged MWCNT-GO Composites for Wastewater Treatment

Graphene oxide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes have recently attracted attention, as they have proved to have potential in various applications. Therefore, in this study, a positively charged functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNT)-graphene oxide (GO) composite was prepared by the electrostatic attraction approach, as they are oppositely charged, to test for its potential in wastewater treatment applications. Detailed characterization tests such as x-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, and zeta potential analyzer were used to evaluate the interaction between MWCNT and GO as well as the nature of chain growth on the CNT surfaces. The characterization techniques proved the presence of the functional groups on the MWCNT surface and indicated that the composite is hydrophilic. Therefore, it is expected that this composite material would be a great candidate for the wastewater membrane filtration systems. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.