Abstract:To overcome the disadvantage of polyetherimide (PEI) ultrafiltration membranes, which are prone to adsorbing contaminants due to their strong hydrophobicity (water contact angle >80°), and to address the poor dispersibility and interfacial compatibility issues of PEI membranes modified with existing modifiers, firstly, oxidized graphite phase nitrogenized carbon (OGCN) was prepared using hydrogen peroxide via a one-step hydrothermal method using melamine as the raw material. Subsequently, OGCN-doped PEI mixed matrix membranes (MMM) were prepared by doping the modified PEI membrane. The structural composition, microstructure, and water contact angle of the MMM were characterized and tested using FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM, AFM, and a contact angle tester. The influence of the OGCN mass fraction (0.3%–0.9%) in the casting solution on the pure water flux and bovine serum albumin (BSA) retention rate of the MMM was investigated, and the synergistic mechanism in efficient separation and anti-fouling was systematically explored. The results showed that OGCN formed a hydrogen bonding network with the amide groups of PEI through hydroxyl groups, significantly improving the hydrophilicity of the MMM surface, with the water contact angle decreasing from 79.05° for the PEI membrane to 67.34°–70.32°. When the OGCN mass fraction was 0.5%, the pure water flux of the prepared MMM membrane (M2) was 990.85 L/(m2·h), an improvement of 35% compared to the PEI membrane, and the BSA retention rate was 98.47%. Under different pH conditions (pH =2,12) and high temperatures (80°C), the M2 membrane exhibited excellent chemical and thermal stability, with a pure water flux fluctuation rate of <5%, and maintained a BSA retention rate of >93% even at high temperatures. In the anti-fouling experiment, the pure water flux recovery rate (FRR) reached 94%. The surface roughness of the M2 membrane decreased to 4.65 nm, which, combined with its enhanced hydrophilicity, effectively inhibited the adsorption of BSA.