Anti-organic fouling and anti-biofouling poly(piperazineamide) thin film nanocomposite membranes for low pressure removal of heavy metal ions

Enhanced Fouling Resistance and Antimicrobial Property of Ultrafiltration Membranes Via Polyelectrolyte-Assisted Silver Phosphate Nanoparticle Immobilization

“…The effect of membrane modification on surface charge is of importance, particularly when the organic fouling of membranes is considered [ 49 , 50 ]. Zeta potential (ZP) measurements exhibited that the modified membrane (5 AgPNP-BL) became markedly more negatively charged (over the range of pH values tested) compared to the virgin membrane ( Figure 7 b).…”

“…When considering membrane functionalization aimed at fouling mitigation, most studies have demonstrated the improvement of a specific membrane property, which might have been compromised with the membrane’s solute retention capability. Very few studies [ 49 , 50 ] have addressed the combined improvement of anti-organic and biofouling properties, and there is a lack of studies on the altered mechanisms of fouling as a result of membrane modification, more specifically, in the case of low-pressure polymeric membranes. Firouzjaei et al [ 50 ] incorporated graphene oxide and Ag-based nanomaterials into thin-film nanocomposite membranes to improve their antifouling and anti-biofouling properties; however, the performance evaluation was conducted under forward osmosis mode rather than under pressure-driven conditions.…”

“…Accordingly, the stability of the embedded nanoparticles was not demonstrated under pressure-driven conditions. Another attempt to improve anti-biofouling and anti-organic fouling properties was focused on removing heavy metal ions by a nanofiltration (NF) membrane that was fabricated in the laboratory through interfacial polymerization (IP) between poly(piperazineamide) and trimesoyl chloride, followed by immobilization of AgNPs [ 49 ]. The approach of the current study was to functionalize an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane—a low-pressure (40–1000 kPa) membrane that yields higher permeate flux and saves significant operating costs compared to NF and reverse osmosis (RO) [ 51 ]—to equip it with enhanced anti-organic fouling and antimicrobial properties.…”

Preparation and Applications of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water/Wastewater Treatment

“…The synthesized TFNC membranes exhibited a good performance for several heavy metals as >99% for Pb 2+ , 91-97% for Cd 2+ , 90-96% for Co 2+ , and 95-99% for Cu 2+ at applied 0.5 MPa pressure. It was mentioned that heavy metal ions rejection effect of the modified NF membranes is attributed to the positive surface charge development [62].…”

Sustainable Membranes and its Applications

“…A promising alternative to turn the membranes more sustainable is the functionalization of the membrane from structural modification. This structural modification can be performed from the incorporation of organic or inorganic compounds/additives, providing antimicrobial, antioxidant, adsorptive, or catalytic characteristics to the membrane, depending on the kind of functional material employed, besides improving the anti-fouling properties and increasing the lifespan of the membranes [9,18,19,129]. Thus, the structural functionalization allows the fabrication of membranes with morphologies that are more and more adequate to the specific demands of each industrial process, be it separation, purification, and/or concentration.…”