LAUSR

Abstract Two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) membranes exhibit great potential for environmental aqueous separation and purification. However, their viability and performance are greatly limited under cross-flow conditions due to the enlargement of interlayer spacing and peeling of stacked GO laminates in aqueous environments. Herein, inspired by natural nacre structure, we present a dual-functional and ultra-stable β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) -polyacrylic acid (PAA) -GO composite membrane, with a constant d-spacing in both wet and dry states. Nanosheets and chain polymers construct a typical “brick-mortar” structural configuration, which exhibits great anti-swelling property compared with other reported GO membranes. By rationally optimizing and tuning the membrane structures, the ultrathin GO membrane (∼50 nm) exhibits outstanding stability in cross-flow and long-term filtration. Moreover, the designed membrane shows dual functions (high-throughput enantioselectivity and excellent dyes rejection) with the increase of molecular size. This strategy boosts the ongoing research in designing robust lamellar membrane materials for practical engineering applications in aqueous environments.