Hybrid Ceramic Membranes for the Removal of Pharmaceuticals from Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technology was used to coat alumina ceramic membranes with nanosized polyelectrolyte films. The polyelectrolyte chains form a network with nanopores on the ceramic surface and promote the rejection of small molecules such as pharmaceuticals, salts and industrial contaminants, which can otherwise not be eliminated using standard ultrafiltration methods. The properties and performance of newly developed hybrid membranes are in the focus of this investigation. The homogeneity of the applied coating layer was investigated by confocal fluorescence microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Properties such as permeability, bubble point, pore size distribution and Zeta potential were determined for both pristine and LbL coated membranes using various laboratory tests. Subsequently, a thorough comparison was drawn. The charging behavior at solid-liquid interface was characterized using streaming potential techniques. The retention potential was monitored by subjecting widely used pharmaceuticals such as diclofenac, ibuprofen and sulfamethoxazol. The results prove a successful elimination of pharmaceutical contaminants, up to 84% from drinking water, by applying a combination of polyelectrolyte multilayers and ceramic membranes.

Recent Advances in Biopolymeric Membranes towards the Removal of Emerging Organic Pollutants from Water

“…As industries are being developed and their products' demand remains high, there is an increased usage of organic compounds, which leads to the high demand of water purification and treatment technologies. As it is, the increased utilization of organic products such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides has resulted in the reduction of clean water supplies for communities [52]. Furthermore, these contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) tend to find their way into water systems [1,53,54].…”

“…Membranes can either be polymeric or ceramic [21,52,66]. Notably, ceramic membranes are made from materials such as aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) [52].…”

“…Membranes can either be polymeric or ceramic [21,52,66]. Notably, ceramic membranes are made from materials such as aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) [52]. Ceramic membranes are known to possess excellent mechanical and thermal properties and possess significant chemical stability.…”

“…Polymeric membranes are advantageous over ceramic membranes because of their affordability and pollutant removal effectiveness [21,52]. Notably, polymeric membranes are known to be flexible.…”

“…In addition, the polymeric membrane pore sizes are tunable when compared to ceramic membranes. Hence, the polymeric membranes can be applied in various industrial treatment applications towards the removal of smaller ions and trace elements from water [21,52]. Different polymeric membrane types can be used for water pollution filtration.…”