Biomimetic Membranes for Effective Desalination and Emerging Contaminants (ECs) Removal

Abstract

Rapid growth and industrialization have increased water consumption and enhanced wastewater generation, thereby depleting surface water resources, decreasing groundwater tables, and the scarcity of drinkable water. In the last few years, water-related issues have become highly prominent. Moreover, the availability of freshwater resources is also limited, hence switching to sustainable alternatives such as seawater desalination and wastewater treatment has become essential. Treatment based on membrane separation is crucial for addressing environmental concerns and global water security issues. Due to better efficiency, lower footprint, reduced chemical use, and superior quality treatment, membrane separation becomes a viable solution. However, due to the inherent limitations of the membrane materials, there has been limited advancement in membrane technology for water treatment. With advances in material science and membrane filtration technologies, one can overcome the problems associated with conventional membrane treatment processes. Biomimetic membranes have emerged as a possible solution for membrane-based water purification and removing emerging pollutants in recent years. Bio-inspired technologies can master the challenges associated with existing membranes, including excessive energy consumption, very low selectivity, and limited permeability. Therefore, this chapter aims to briefly introduce different membrane-based separation technologies and compare membrane-deployed water purification and advancements for future development, mainly focusing on biomimetic membranes. Further, the last section deals with the scope of commercializing biomimetic membranes for emerging contaminants (ECs) removal and water purification.