Recent Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes for Organic Compound Remediation from Potable Waters

Abstract

Water treatment is one of the main approaches for producing drinking water from contaminated water sources which is challenging due to the presence of a variety of substances requiring removal. The fabrication of nanocomposite membranes relies either on filling nanomaterials into polymeric phases before membrane fabrication, or coating of nanomaterials on the fabricated membrane surface. The removal of organic compounds from potable waters requires processes such as microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis. Since most nanomaterials display interesting organic compound uptakes from aqueous systems, nanocomposite membranes have been tested in the removal of various substances from potable waters. Currently, many membrane processes necessitate more advanced and well‐designed selective barriers that may guarantee both permeation and separation efficiency. The progresses and breakthroughs on nanocomposite membranes in remediating potable waters are reported, highlighting novel composite formulations and emphasizing recent advances and outcomes in the field.

Recent Progress on Synthesis and Properties of Black Phosphorus and Phosphorene As New-Age Nanomaterials for Water Decontamination

“…In addition to the fouling resistance, other important characteristics include high performance, high selectivity, chemical/thermal resistance, mechanical strength, long operational lifespan, and scalability. The incorporation of nanomaterials into membrane production has been demonstrated in several studies to increase water permeability, mechanical strength, and separation efficiency and reduce fouling. , The success of polymer-nanomaterial composite membranes in water and wastewater treatment is significantly dependent on the homogeneous distribution of nanomaterials within the membrane polymer matrix or on the membrane surface and their stability in the membrane structure . Research on 2D nanomaterials as membrane additives has recently grown because of the possibility of extremely thin separation layers forming on or within the membrane, offering high selectivity for molecules and ions. , Among 2D nanomaterials, phosphorene could provide more advantages owing to its structural features, such as a relatively adjustable direct band gap, high charge carrier mobility, and enhanced in-plane anisotropy.…”

“…142,143 The success of polymer-nanomaterial composite membranes in water and wastewater treatment is significantly dependent on the homogeneous distribution of nanomaterials within the membrane polymer matrix or on the membrane surface and their stability in the membrane structure. 144 Research on 2D nanomaterials as membrane additives has recently grown because of the possibility of extremely thin separation layers forming on or within the membrane, offering high selectivity for molecules and ions. 145,146 Among 2D nanomaterials, phosphorene could provide more advantages owing to its structural features, such as a relatively adjustable direct band gap, high charge carrier mobility, and enhanced inplane anisotropy.…”

Recent advances in membrane technologies applied in oil–water separation

“…Nanofillers, such as nanoparticles or nanotubes, can enhance membrane properties through various mechanisms, including increased surface area, improved mechanical strength, and enhanced selectivity [ 116 ]. Jose R. Aguilar Cosme et al [ 117 ] found that inorganic nanoparticles' high adsorption capacity enabled nanocomposite membranes to outperform previous pristine membranes in removing dyes, metal ions, humic substances, and more. In addition, Vantanpour et al [ 118 ] modified cellulose acetate nanofiltration membranes with zeolite imidazoline framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles for water treatment applications.…”

Nanofiltration-Assisted Concentration Processes of Phenolic Fractions and Carotenoids from Natural Food Matrices

“…Mostly, the physicochemical properties of membranes are being improved by different scenarios, such as polymer blending [176], inorganic nanomaterial incorporation [177], and post-treatment modification [178]. By modifying the properties of membranes, enhanced separation performance can be obtained if the polymer or inorganic nanomaterials are suitably merged [179]. Therefore, the next generation of membranes for pressure-driven membrane processes will be a scope of study in the near future.…”