Recent Progress in One- and Two-Dimensional Nanomaterial-Based Electro-Responsive Membranes: Versatile and Smart Applications from Fouling Mitigation to Tuning Mass Transport

Abstract

Membrane technologies are playing an ever-important role in the field of water treatment since water reuse and desalination were put in place as alternative water resources to alleviate the global water crisis. Recently, membranes are becoming more versatile and powerful with upgraded electroconductive capabilities, owing to the development of novel materials (e.g., carbon nanotubes and graphene) with dual properties for assembling into membranes and exerting electrochemical activities. Novel nanomaterial-based electrically responsive membranes have been employed with promising results for mitigating membrane fouling, enhancing membrane separation performance and self-cleaning ability, controlling membrane wettability, etc. In this article, recent progress in novel-nanomaterial-based electrically responsive membranes for application in the field of water purification are provided. Thereafter, several critical drawbacks and future outlooks are discussed.

Modelling the Performance of Electrically Conductive Nanofiltration Membranes

“…The variation of rejection with surface potential is presented in Figure 2a for different values of the Stern layer volume capacitance. The value C s = 2000 mol/m 3 V corresponds to the Stern layer capacitance c s = 0.096 F/m 2 and the relative dielectric permittivity ε s = 3.4 assuming that the Stern layer thickness is δ = 0.5 nm; see Formula (7). These are typical values that characterize the effect of a reduction in the dielectric permittivity due to the orientation of water molecules in the strong electric field near the electrically conductive pore surface [11,12].…”

“…This approach can be realized in membranes with electrically conductive surfaces, the charge of which can be controlled by varying the surface potential [ 6 ]. This gives an additional degree of freedom in terms of adjusting the selective properties of the membrane relative to its target components and also opens up the possibility of monitoring membrane fouling and cleaning, the degradation of organic substances, and the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms [ 7 , 8 ].…”

Antiviral Nanomaterials for Designing Mixed Matrix Membranes

“…In addition, to improve the potential of antiviral MMM in the filtration field, the structural and physicochemical properties of the nanomaterials can be augmented by modifying their size and surface [ 56 , 59 ]. Finally, the photodynamic inhibition ability and other stimuli-responsive properties of some of the discussed nanomaterials [ 135 ] could be explored to make contact-killing more predominant than release-killing.…”

Modification of Thin Film Composite Membrane by Chitosan–Silver Particles to Improve Desalination and Anti-Biofouling Performance

“…This situation worsens in lower-income countries that cannot afford freshwater production technologies [5]. Reverse osmosis (RO) desalination is a technology that can help mitigate the water scarcity problem [6]. Since, it provides an available and reliable alternative to fresh water sources at any time of the year.…”