High‐Performance Graphene Oxide–Incorporated Cellulose Acetate Membranes for Efficient Dye Wastewater Treatment

Abstract This study investigates the development of cellulose acetate (CA) embedded with nano graphene oxide (GO) modified membranes for effective rejection of Safranin‐O (Sf‐O, a cationic dye) and Direct Yellow‐12 (DY‐12, an anionic dye) from respective aqueous solutions. Initially, nano GO were synthesized and characterized using XRD, FTIR, and FESEM. Later, GO was incorporated into CA membranes, and the morphological, physicochemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the resulting composite membranes were evaluated using FTIR, FESEM‐EDX, AFM, TGA, and tensile testing. Dye rejection experiments were conducted using a dead‐end filtration system by varying GO loading (0–3 wt.%) in the CA matrix. The results revealed a strong correlation between GO content and membrane performance. The membrane with 2 wt.% GO (CA/GO‐2) showed optimal dye removal, achieving 97% rejection of Sf‐O at 75 ppm and 98% rejection of DY‐12 at 60 ppm. These findings highlight the novelty of incorporating nano GO to significantly enhance membrane hydrophilicity, thermal stability, and dye removal efficiency. Overall, the developed CA/GO membranes demonstrate great potential for sustainable wastewater treatment applications.