Fabrication of a novel hollow wood fiber membrane decorated with halloysite and metal-organic frameworks nanoparticles for sustainable water treatment

Abstract

Membrane separation techniques have been proven to be highly efficient for the treatment of organic wastewater. The selection of membrane material is crucial for achieving high-efficiency water treatment and promoting large-scale application. In this work, a novel membrane (Fiber/HNTs/ZIF-67) was fabricated by combining hollow wood fiber (Fiber), halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), and metal-organic frameworks nanoparticles (ZIF-67) via acrylamide crosslinking. Hollow wood fiber served as main skeleton of the membrane, while HNTs and ZIF-67 nanoparticles acted as filling materials to adjust membrane’s pore structure and enhance the adsorption capacity. Meanwhile, ZIF-67 nanoparticles endow the membrane with peroxymonosulfate activation for the degradation of organic dyestuff. Additionally, the hollow and porous structures of wood fiber and HNTs as well as the porosity generated from the acrylamide crosslinking process facilitate rapid water transmission channels in water treatment. The Fiber/HNTs/ZIF-67 membrane displays high flux of 209 L·(m2·h)−1 with 100% rejection rate for methylene blue solution. Moreover, the designed membrane with catalytic activity of ZIF-67 demonstrates impressive decontaminated and recycling ability. Besides, the composite of wood fiber and inorganic nanomaterials ensure excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability. The fabrication of Fiber/HNTs/ZIF-67 is simple, and it exhibits excellent water treatment capacity. These promising results position it as a practical solution for the treatment of organic wastewater.