• Membrane Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.167-181
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• 2017

Graphene-based materials have been considered as a promising membrane material, due to its easy processability and atomic thickness. In this study, we studied on gas permeation behavior in few-layered GO membranes prepared by spin-coating method. The GO membrane structures were varied by using different GO flake sizes and GO solutions at various pH levels. The GO membranes prepared small flake size show more permeable and selective gas separation properties than large one due to shortening tortuosity. Also gas transport behaviors of the GO membranes are sensitive to slit width for gas diffusion because the pore size of GO membranes ranged from molecular sieving to Knudsen diffusion area. In particular, due to the narrow pore size of GO membranes and highly $CO_2$-philic properties of GO nanosheets, few-layered GO membranes exhibit ultrafast and $CO_2$ selective character in comparison with other gas molecules, which lead to outstanding $CO_2$ capture properties such as $CO_2/H_2$, $CO_2/CH_4$, and $CO_2/N_2$. This unusual gas transport through multi-layered GO nanosheets can explain a unique transport mechanism followed by an adsorption-facilitated diffusion behavior (i.e., surface diffusion mechanism). These findings provide the great insights for designing $CO_2$-selective membrane materials and the practical guidelines for gas transports through slit-like pores and lamellar structures.