Synthesis of thin-film nanocomposite membranes using functionalized silica nanoparticles for water desalination with drastically improved properties

Thin-Film Nanocomposite (TFN) Membranes for Water Treatment Applications: Characterization and Performance

“…Novel TFN membranes were created by incorporating CeO 2 NPs into the ultra-thin PA layers, resulting in increased hydrophilicity and water permeance without negatively affecting membrane selectivity. The presence of CeO 2 NPs also mitigated organic fouling in the membranes [ 45 ].…”

“…The increase in the O/N and C/N ratio of the TFN membrane is associated with decreased degrees of cross-linking and enhanced water permeability during PA layer formation [ 104 , 105 ]. Wang et al attributed this phenomenon to the decreased diffusion of the MPD amine monomer towards the organic component due to NP agglomeration [ 45 ]. Similar results were reported by Wang et al [ 62 ] and Huang et al [ 93 ].…”

“…On the other hand, increasing the amount of CeO 2 NPs nanofillers to 400 mg/L showed an undesirable impact on the PA layer integrity due to NP agglomeration [ 45 ]. According to Urper-Bayram et al, the addition of hydrophilic nanofillers, such as Si NPs and TiO 2 NPs, led to an increase in the membrane porosity and water permeability as evidenced by the SEM images [ 114 ].…”

“…Finally, the destruction of the aromatic skeleton occurs above 600 °C [ 55 ]. The improved thermal stability of the PA layers is attributed to the improved crosslinking and the presence of less-unreacted functional groups in the PA layer due to the successful incorporation of the nanofiller, such as functionalized SWCNTs [ 138 ], nitrogen-doped graphene oxide quantum dots (N-GOQD) [ 64 ], o-hydroxy porous organic polymer (o-POP) [ 139 ], MOFs [ 140 , 141 ], TiO 2 /MWCNTs nanocomposites [ 142 ], iron oxide (FeO) nanoparticles [ 50 ], amine-rich synthetic talc (NHST) nanosheets [ 60 ], cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) nanoparticles [ 45 ], UiO-66-NH 2 nanoparticles [ 75 ], TiO 2 nanoparticles [ 44 ], and palygorskite/Ag nanocomposite [ 94 ]. However, the over-addition of the nanofiller can reduce the crosslinking and, consequently, the thermal stability of the prepared TFN membranes in accordance with FTIR and CA findings [ 64 ].…”

“…Chemical and biological fouling reduces the membrane lifetime, durability, and performance with consequent increases in the overall operation cost. Membrane fouling is related to the hydrophobic nature, surface roughness, and negative charge of the TFN membrane [ 45 ].…”