JURNAL KIMIA SAINS DAN APLIKASI
Vol 29, No 3 (2026): Volume 29 Issue 3 Year 2026

Cryogenic Microstructure Engineering of PVDF-Based Composite Membranes Doped with Alumina and Reduced Graphene Oxide Derived from Palm Kernel Shell (PKS)

Meilysa Yonara (Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau, Pekanbaru|Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau|Indonesia)
Delovita Ginting (Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau, Pekanbaru|Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau|Indonesia)
Romi Fadli Syahputra (Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau, Pekanbaru|Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau|Indonesia)
Asanah Radhi (Faculty of Bioengineering and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Kampus Jeli, 17600, Jeli, Kelantan|Universiti Malaysia Kelantan|Malaysia)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Apr 2026

Abstract

Composite polymer membranes based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) have attracted attention as potential solid-state electrolyte candidates due to their thermal stability and mechanical robustness. However, microstructural heterogeneity and transport limitations remain key challenges. This study investigates the effect of cryogenic treatment (Series A) and rGO incorporation (Series B) on PVDF/Al2O3/CA composite membranes derived from palm kernel shell (PKS)-based reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Morphological characterization showed a reduction in pore size from 13–15 μm in the untreated membrane to 1.7–2.6 μm in the 2-minute treatment, improving membrane uniformity. UV–Vis spectroscopy revealed an increase in apparent optical band gap from 1.34 eV to 1.44 eV with increasing cryogenic duration, suggesting improved structural ordering within the composite membrane. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements conducted under aqueous Na2SO4 conditions showed increased current response and capacitance with increasing rGO content (Series B), indicating enhanced interfacial electrochemical behavior. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) performed on Series A samples demonstrated a decrease in area-specific bulk resistance from 0.14 to 0.10 Ω·cm2, corresponding to an apparent ionic conductivity of 8.0 × 10−2 S/cm under the applied aqueous screening configuration. The results indicate that cryogenic treatment primarily governs bulk resistance reduction through pore refinement, while rGO incorporation enhances electrochemical response under model aqueous conditions. These findings highlight the role of structural control and biomass-derived carbon fillers in tailoring composite membrane electrochemical characteristics.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

ksa

Publisher

Subject

Chemical Engineering, Chemistry & Bioengineering Chemistry Engineering

Description

urnal Kimia Sains dan Aplikasi (p-ISSN: 1410-8917) and e-ISSN: 2597-9914) is published by Department of Chemistry, Diponegoro University. This journal is published four times per year and publishes research, review and short communication in field of ...