
Then, they were tested towards 3-mg L −1 aqueous synthetic solutions of Fe 3+ and Cu 2+ ions to evaluate their metal adsorption ability, with values of the order of 0.1–0.2 mmol g membrane −1, comparable or even slightly higher than those of pristine rGO. Thus, rGO–TiO 2 and rGO–TIO composite membranes, 1:1 by weight, were prepared and characterized by SEM-EDX, XRD, thermogravimetry, as well as by Raman and UV-Vis spectroscopies to verify the effective and homogeneous integration of the two components.

Moreover, this study also investigates the potential photocatalytic properties of tionite (TIO), to demonstrate the feasibility of replacing commercial TiO 2 with such waste-derived TiO 2-containing material, fulfilling a circular economy approach. The purpose is to demonstrate the possibility of combining, in the same self-standing material, the capability to treat wastewater containing both inorganic and organic pollutants by exploiting the established ability of rGO to capture metal ions together with that of TiO 2 to degrade organic substances. This work reports the preliminary results of the development of composite self-assembling membranes obtained by the combination of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with commercial Degussa P25 titanium dioxide (TiO 2).
