Table 1 Brief description about all the prepared membranes

PVDF/PMMA

(These are named as 50/50, 60/40 and 70/30 based on composition in blend)

These membranes are prepared from the blend of PVDF and PMMA by etching out the PMMA phase

These are microporous membranes with pore sizes 200, 140, 80 nm for 50/50, 60/40 and 70/30 respectively

Control membrane

Membranes derived from 50/50, 60/40 and 70/30 blends stitched with PAA such that 50/50 is the active surface

This hierarchical membrane offers gradient in morphology

GO membrane

It is prepared via vacuum assisted filtration on the commercial PVDF support

This membrane is a freestanding membrane in which GO flakes are nicely deposited on PVDF support

Crosslinked GO membrane

Same as GO membrane

Here GO falkes are chemically stitched which arrests the swelling of GO under aqueous environment

GO modified membrane

Freestanding GO membrane was stitched between 50/50 and 60/40 membrane

Here GO helps to improve the performance of the control membrane

PSS-PDA membrane

This membrane was prepared by depositing PDA and PSS electrolytes alternatively on the surface of pretreated control membrane

The layer by layer assembly of polyelectrolytes on the top surface of the membrane helps to improve in separation and fouling resistance

PSS-PDA-crosslinked GO membrane

Freestanding crosslinked GO membrane was stitched in between 50/50 and 60/40 membrane followed by deposition of PDA and PSS electrolytes alternatively

The layer by layer assembly of polyelectrolytes on the top surface of the membrane and the position of crosslinked GO membrane help to synergize the membranes performance