Membranes For Water Treatment Research Articles

MXene-based membranes in water treatment: Current status and future prospects

Emerging highly selective MXene-based membranes have drawn a greater scientific interest in the field of water treatment due to their ion-selective and controlled molecular transport characteristics. However, MXene-based membranes have limitations in water treatment due to the difficulties including permeability-selectivity trade-off, swelling, fouling, oxidation, etc. Thus, a better understanding of the rational structural design principles of the membranes and their separation mechanisms are essential to further their development in water treatment. This review provides a concise overview of the key timeline in the fabrication of MXene-based membranes, the membrane characterization approaches used to understand their structure-property correlations, and the present difficulties in synthesizing high-performance MXene-based membranes. To overcome these challenges, new designing approaches are comprehensively reviewed to enhance the permeability, selectivity, stability, and antifouling properties of MXene-based membranes. These approaches include physical intercalation, chemical cross-linking, membrane surface modification, etc. Then, the separation mechanisms involved in the membranes in water treatment are presented, followed by the related applications. Looking forward, the perspective is provided on the future research directions for further advancing the membranes. This timely review may help to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial needs of MXene-based membranes for water treatment.

Flexible membranes fabricated by initiated chemical vapor deposition for water treatment, battery, and drug delivery

With the development of advanced yet structurally complex systems, flexible membranes have attracted increasing attention. Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), an emerging, facile, scalable technique to deposit high-quality polymer thin films on arbitrary substrates, holds great promise in the fabrication of flexible membranes. iCVD features solvent-free, gentle deposition conditions that enable the processing of various solvent-susceptible, fragile, or delicate substrates. The mechanical flexibility, precisely controlled morphology, and abundant physiochemical property of iCVD polymer films enable the design and optimization of membrane characteristics for diverse applications. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of the fabrication and applications of iCVD flexible membranes. First, we introduce the deposition mechanism and parameters of iCVD. We then critically discuss the applications of iCVD membranes in water treatment, battery, and drug delivery, elaborating their processing–property–performance interrelationships. Finally, we discuss the scale-up and commercialization of iCVD, followed by the limitations and future directions in the field.

Polycation-Intercalated MXene Membrane with Enhanced Permselective and Anti-Microbial Properties.

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial-based membranes feature attractive properties for molecular separation and transport, which exhibit huge potential in various chemical processes. However, the low permeability and bio-fouling of the MXene membrane in water treatment become huge obstacles to its practical application. Herein, a highly permselective and anti-bacterial 2D nanofiltration membrane is fabricated by intercalating a polycation of polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) into the Ti3C2Tx MXene laminar architecture through a facile and patternable electrostatic assembly strategy. As a result, the as-fabricated Ti3C2Tx/PDDA composite membrane exhibits higher water permeance up to 73.4 L m-2 h-1 with a rejection above 94.6% for MgCl2. The resultant membrane simultaneously possesses good resistance to swelling and long-term stability in water environments, even after 8 h. Additionally, the Ti3C2Tx/PDDA membrane also demonstrates a high flux recovery ratio of nearly 96.1% to bovine serum albumin proteins after being cleaned. More importantly, the current membrane shows excellent anti-adhesive and anti-microbial activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), with inhibition rates of 90% and 95% against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. This holds great potential for the application of the polyelectrolyte-intercalated MXene membrane in serving as a promising platform to separate molecules and/or ions in an aquatic environment.

Synchronously improved permeability, selectivity and fouling resistance of Fe-N-C functionalized ceramic catalytic membrane for effective water treatment: The critical role of Fe

Constructing catalytic membrane simultaneously displaying high permeability, selectivity and antifouling performance in water treatment remains challenging. Herein, the surface and pore channels of the ceramic membrane were co-functionalized with nitrogen doped carbon supported Fe catalyst (CN-F), and the Fe content was varied to investigate its effect on performance of CN-F coupled with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation (CN-F/PMS) for water treatment. Results confirmed the introduced Fe (in Fe-N coordination form) greatly enhanced the permeability, selectivity and fouling resistance of CN-F. Optimal CN-F3/PMS achieved 96.5% removal and 52.1% mineralization of sulfamethoxazole in short retention duration (2.7 min), whose performance was 5.4 and 6.7 times higher than that of nitrogen doped carbon functionalized ceramic catalytic membrane (CN/PMS) and CN-F3 filtration alone, respectively. CN-F3/PMS also efficiently inhibited fouling on both surface and pores with 2.8 and 2.4 times lower flux loss than that of CN/PMS and CN-F3 filtration alone, respectively. Moreover, CN-F3/PMS displayed superior performance in long-term treatment of real coking wastewater. The outstanding performance of CN-F was mainly attributed to the dual role of supported Fe, which served as hydrophilic site for enhanced water permeation and major active site for PMS adsorption and reduction into reactive species (mainly high-valent Fe(IV)=O species) towards pollutant elimination.

Modification of microfiltration membranes by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride/n-hydroxy sulfosuccinimide coupling mediated antimicrobial peptides grafting for biofouling mitigation

Microfiltration membrane separation is widely applied for water and wastewater but biofouling is a challenging task in real applications. In this work, we fabricated a novel antibiofouling polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane by grafting non-drug-resistant antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) on the membranes via 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxy sulfosuccinimide (EDC/Sulfo-NHS) chemistry. Effects of AMPs concentration on the membrane basic properties, antibacterial and antibiofouling behaviors of the modified membranes were systematically investigated. Membrane surface characterization demonstrated that the AMPs were successfully grafted onto the base PVDF membranes. The AMPs modified membrane showed enhanced hydrophilicity, consistent permeability and prominent antimicrobial ability (i.e., >90% of antibacterial efficiency against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). Batch filtration tests exhibited that the modified membranes with the concentration of AMPs less than or equal to 0.7 mg/mL had lower flux decline rate compared to the pristine membrane (M0). According to the images from confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis, less total cells as well as more dead cells were observed on the AMPs modified membrane compared to M0. Furthermore, the grafted AMPs on the membranes also displayed favorable stability suffered from a cycle involving biofouling and chemical cleaning. This grafting protocol for AMPs highlights a robust way to fabricate antibiofouling membranes for water and wastewater treatment.

Leveraging ChatGPT and Bard: What does it convey for water treatment/desalination and harvesting sectors?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a prominent tool in the modern day. The utilization of AI and advanced language models such as chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT) and Bard is not only innovative but also crucial for handling challenges related to water research. ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that uses natural language processing to create humanlike conversations. ChatGPT has recently gained considerable public interest, owing to its unique ability to simplify tasks from various backgrounds. Similarly, Google introduced Bard, an AI-powered chatbot to simulate human conversations. Herein, we investigated how ChatGPT and Bard (AI powdered chatbots) tools can impact water research through interactive sessions. Typically, ChatGPT and Bard offer significant benefits to various fields, including research, education, scientific publications, and outreach. ChatGPT and Bard simplify complex and challenging tasks. For instance, 50 important questions about water treatment/desalination techniques and 50 questions about water harvesting techniques were provided to both chatbots. Time analytics was performed by ChatGPT 3.5, and Bard was used to generate full responses. In particular, the effectiveness of this emerging tool for research purposes in the field of conventional water treatment techniques, advanced water treatment techniques, membrane technology and seawater desalination has been thoroughly demonstrated. Moreover, potential pitfalls and challenges were also highlighted. Thus, sharing these experiences may encourage the effective and responsible use of Bard and ChatGPT in research purposes. Finally, the responses were compared from the perspective of an expert. Although ChatGPT and Bard possess huge benefits, there are several issues, which are discussed in this study. Based on this study, we can compare the abilities of artificial intelligence and human intelligence in water sector research.

Durable hydrogel-based lubricated composite coating with remarkable underwater performances

HypothesisHydrogel coatings have received great attention in the field of such as medical devices, water treatment membranes, flexible electronics, and marine antifouling. However, when it comes to lubrication of hydrogel materials, though it has great potential applications in the field of industrial and medical drag reduction, some restrained properties are urgently needed to overcome for releasing the practical potential. ExperimentsDurability of high lubrication was revealed from the sliding test during the long-term storage, as well as the long-distance sliding. Some variables which possibly affect the lubrication performance were examined to demonstrate that excellent lubricity of the coating would not be easily influenced by load, frequency, friction pair and temperature. The microstructure and mechanical characterization of the lubricative coating indicate that the resistance to harsh running conditions is premised on enough hydration extent and robustness. The formulae of Possion ratio and ball-on-disk contact stress which apply to soft matter were used for calculating contact stress values in tribology tests. Anti-swelling and bio-compatibility are also verified. FindingsThis work found a route of achieving superior lubrication and coexisting with stability in lubrication, which can be used for drag reduction in medical devices and shipbuilding industry.

A Novel Method to Quantify Real-Time Compaction of Water Treatment Membranes

A Novel Method to Quantify Real-Time Compaction of Water Treatment Membranes

In situ modification of ultrafiltration membranes with eco-friendly pyrogallol/taurine to enhance antifouling performance

Fouling is a long-standing problem in water treatment membranes because it substantially deteriorates process efficiency. Here, we present a facile strategy for the in situ modification of polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with eco-friendly antifouling materials (i.e., pyrogallol and taurine) to enhance their fouling resistance. When the PES dope solution was immersed into the nonsolvent containing pyrogallol and taurine, the phase separation and surface modification of the PES phase occurred simultaneously. Surface modification with taurine was mediated by pyrogallol, which reacted with taurine to form pyrogallol–taurine complexes. Amphiphilic pyrogallol–taurine complexes were effectively bound to the phase-transitioning PES, resulting in their uniform, dense, and robust deposition throughout the external and internal pore surfaces of the membrane without changing its pore structure. Consequently, the in situ-modified PES membrane exhibited remarkably higher surface hydrophilicity and a more negative charge than pristine PES. Importantly, the proposed in situ modification strategy significantly improved the protein anti-adhesive and antifouling properties of the pristine membrane and enhanced its permeance performance, which cannot be achieved by ex situ modification. Our study provides a facile antifouling strategy that can be applied to various membranes for water purification and desalination and extensively describes the underlying modification mechanism.

Selective filtration of dye by tannic acid‐molybdenum disulfide composite nanofiltration membrane

AbstractDye‐selective nanofiltration membranes have great potential for chemical dye separation and purification as well as dye wastewater treatment. Two‐dimensional materials such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with excellent physical and chemical properties are ideal nanofiltration membrane materials. MoS2 with few layers is used in combination with polyphenols to prepare highly selective filtration nanofiltration membranes for cationic dyes. The tannic acid (TA)‐MoS2 composite material is constructed on the surface of a micro‐porous Mixed Cellulose Ester membrane by a vacuum filtration method, and the nanofiltration membrane exhibits good flexibility and excellent film‐forming properties. The maximum filtration efficiency of TAMoS2 nanocomposite film for R6G can reach 80%, while for EY and MO, it is only 9.6% and 6.1% respectively. Filtration studies on mixtures of two different types of dyes show that the composite nanofiltration membrane has excellent separation performance. The separation characteristics and mechanism of the composite nanofilm on dyes are carefully studied, showing good selectivity for cationic dyes, which can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of non‐covalent interactions and steric hindrance. This work paves the way for the use of eco‐friendly membranes for water and wastewater treatment and provides an environmentally friendly solution for various applications.

Preparation of Ceramic Membranes and Their Application in Wastewater and Water Treatment

Ceramic membranes have become one of the most rapidly developing and promising membrane materials owing to their excellent properties. Compared with other membrane materials, ceramic membranes are widely used in the wastewater and water treatment fields owing to their advantages, including higher chemical stability, stronger mechanical strength, longer service life, and better water filtration performance. In this paper, the sources of raw materials and their preparation for the production of ceramic membranes are briefly introduced. The methods for preparing ceramic membranes are described in detail, including the role of ceramic membranes in water treatment applications, the preparation methods of the membranes, and the latest progress in this area, along with a review of the applications of ceramic membranes in wastewater and water treatment. Simultaneously, this study also evaluates which preparation method is the most advantageous and the aspects of its advantages. The raw materials used in the ceramic membrane preparation and the types of water treatment suitable for this method were studied. The results showed that the phase-conversion sintering technique has multiple advantages, and the generated asymmetric structure with finger- and sponge-like voids can further improve the flux and separation abilities, which are attractive for scientific researchers. Finally, the development trends in the inorganic ceramic membrane market were surveyed. This work can help beginners understand the preparation procedures employed to produce ceramic membranes for water treatment; compare the porosity, mechanical strength, permeation flux, and chemical and thermal stability of the resulting membranes; and reasonably select the appropriate preparation method for the relevant water treatment type.

Processing of membranes and 3D scaffolds based on n-TiO2 colloidally dispersed on a thermoplastic matrix for photocatalytic pollutant removal

One of the most promising technologies for water treatment today is photocatalytic membrane reactors (PMRs). Manufacturing efficient membranes is still challenging as many factors are involved, like the porosity, specific surface area, nature and size of particles. In this work, a colloidal method to self-support commercial nanoparticles (n-TiO2) in a polymeric matrix of polylactic acid (PLA) is proposed allowing the fabrication of 2D and 3D structures with high inorganic content that can be adapted to the PMR configurations. Using a commercial filament of PLA loaded with up to 15 vol% of n-TiO2 as starting point, photocatalytic membranes have been manufactured by FFF. In addition, following a similar process, tapes with n-TiO2 particles up to 15 vol% have been processed by tape casting. Thermal characterisation (DTA) and dynamic rheometry evaluated the commercial filament for printing to determine the conditions used during the thermal extrusion and printing processes. FTIR and XRD technologies were used to determine the chemical interactions of PLA matrices with TiO2 nanoparticles. Porosity was measured by Archimedes's method for the filaments, by mercury intrusion for the membranes and by optical microscopy for the scaffolds. Finally, the microstructure of the 2D and 3D pieces was evaluated by scanning microscopy. 2D tape cast membranes were compared with individual filaments and 3D printed scaffolds in linear and gyroidal geometries. The catalytic activity results indicate that tape cast membranes show much higher kinetic constants than the individual filaments and the linear and gyroidal scaffolds. Regarding the two different printed scaffolds, in contrast to the kinetic values, gyroidal geometries achieve an average degradation time (t50) of 6.1 h, which is a lower value than those observed for linear scaffold geometries. Methyl orange degradation tests after 24 h exposure under UV light showed degradation rates of 98% for membranes, 90% for commercial filaments, 80% for gyroidal scaffolds and 60% for linear patterns. Therefore, these results are promising as a solution for fabricating easily extractable self-supported membranes for water treatment in PMRs.

MXene-based Membranes for Drinking Water Production.

The soaring development of industry exacerbates the shortage of fresh water, making drinking water production an urgent demand. Membrane techniques feature the merits of high efficiency, low energy consumption, and easy operation, deemed as the most potential technology to purify water. Recently, a new type of two-dimensional materials, MXenes as the transition metal carbides or nitrides in the shape of nanosheets, have attracted enormous interest in water purification due to their extraordinary properties such as adjustable hydrophilicity, easy processibility, antifouling resistance, mechanical strength, and light-to-heat transformation capability. In pioneering studies, MXene-based membranes have been evaluated in the past decade for drinking water production including the separation of bacteria, dyes, salts, and heavy metals. This review focuses on the recent advancement of MXene-based membranes for drinking water production. A brief introduction of MXenes is given first, followed by descriptions of their unique properties. Then, the preparation methods of MXene membranes are summarized. The various applications of MXene membranes in water treatment and the corresponding separation mechanisms are discussed in detail. Finally, the challenges and prospects of MXene membranes are presented with the hope to provide insightful guidance on the future design and fabrication of high-performance MXene membranes.

MXene‐basierte Membranen für die Trinkwasserproduktion

AbstractDie rasante industrielle Entwicklung verschärft den Mangel an Süßwasser und macht die effiziente Trinkwassergewinnung zu einem vordringlichen Problem. Membrantechniken zeichnen sich durch hohe Effizienz, geringen Energieverbrauch und einfache Bedienung aus, und gelten daher als eine vielversprechende Technologie zur Wasserreinigung. In jüngster Zeit haben MXene als zweidimensionale Übergangsmetallcarbide oder ‐nitride in Form von exfolierten Nanoblättchen aufgrund ihrer außergewöhnlichen Eigenschaften wie einstellbarer Hydrophilie, einfacher Verarbeitbarkeit, Antifouling‐Beständigkeit und mechanischer Festigkeit großes Interesse in der Wasserreinigung gefunden einschl. ihrer Fähigkeit, Lichtenergie durch Absorption in Wärme zu wandeln. In vielversprechenden Studien wurden MXen‐basierte Membranen in den letzten 10 Jahren für die Trinkwasserproduktion durch Abtrennung von Bakterien, Farbstoffen, Salzen und Schwermetallen evaluiert. Dieser Mini‐Review konzentriert sich auf die jüngsten Fortschritte bei Entwicklung MXen‐basierter Membranen für die Trinkwasserproduktion. Zunächst erfolgt eine kurze Einführung in die Stoffklasse der MXene, gefolgt von einer Beschreibung ihrer einzigartigen Eigenschaften. Anschließend werden die Herstellungsmethoden von MXen‐Membranen diskutiert. Die verschiedenen Anwendungen von MXen‐Membranen in der Wasseraufbereitung und die entsprechenden Trennmechanismen werden ausführlich besprochen. Abschließend werden die Herausforderungen und Perspektiven zukünftiger Forschungsarbeiten zu MXene‐basierten Membranen vorgestellt, um Impulse für das zukünftige Design und die Herstellung von Hochleistungs‐MXen‐Membranen zu geben.

Facile preparation of nanochannel membrane based on polydopamine modified porous organic polymer nanoparticles for high-efficient dye desalination

Nanochannel membranes derived from porous nanomaterials are crucial for driving the development of advanced desalination and water treatment membranes. However, the practical application of polymer nanochannel membranes is halted by the tedious and complicated preparation and the lack of stability in aqueous service process. In this work, we synthesized a novel type of polydopamine modified imidazolium containing porous organic polymer nanoparticles (PDA@POP), which has good water dispersibility and interface adhesion capability. The PDA@POP aqueous dispersion solution was dip coated on the polysulfone ultrafiltration supporting layer, and the nanocoating was further crosslinked with 1,3,5-Benzenetricarboxylic chloride. The appropriate surface modification of POP nanoparticles with PDA enhances the interfacial interaction and maintains effective-aperture structure, leading to stiff and continuous nanochannels facilitating the water molecules and salt ions quickly transporting through the PDA@POPM membrane. As such, both the water permeability (∼57.0 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1) and dye/salt selectivity (>24) of PDA@POPM are improved 5–10 times higher than that of conventional polymer nanofiltration membranes. Meanwhile, the membrane exhibits good stability and anti-fouling property in long-term dye desalination process. This work provides a convenient and universal strategy to design and manufacture nanochannel membranes with high separation performance.

Structure and Conformational Properties of a Short Polyaniline Chain in a Mixture of Water and Ionic Liquid [1-Ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium][bistriflimide] Investigated by All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Development of antifouling membranes for water treatment using conducting polymers and their composites is a fundamental strategy to mitigate the fouling. This manuscript presents an all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of a conducting polymer, polyaniline (PANI), immersed in an ionic liquids (ILs)-water mixtures. We have considered the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium bistriflimide, [EMIM]+[BIS]-. The two forms of polyaniline, emeraldine base (EB) and emeraldine salt (ES), were considered. Various intra- and intermolecular structural properties of PANI were analyzed, such as polymer chain radius of gyration Rg, radial distribution functions, and torsional angle distributions. The Rg of EB shows an increase, while the Rg of ES shows a decrease with an increase in the IL concentration. The backbone torsional angle probability distributions show a significant trans state for EB, while a combination of trans and gauche states was observed for ES. Similar supportive distributions were seen in the backbone angular distributions. Radial distribution functions between the carbon atoms at ortho and meta positions of the benzene ring on both ES and EB, as well as the amine group attached between two benzene rings, show an enhanced interaction with the ionic liquid compared to water. Anions have a dominant interaction with the polymer chain when compared to cations. The solvent accessible surface area (SASA) calculations were in accordance with the EB and ES structural properties. The SASA values are more favorable for ES than for EB. H-bond analysis shows a decrease in the number of H-bonds with water as the IL concentration increases.

Bi2ZnB2O7 – PVDF electrospun composite membrane for waste water treatment utilizing photo-piezocatalysis

To enhance the piezoelectric capabilities of the β-phase of poly(vinylidene fluoride), a new composite membrane was prepared via electrospinning. This consist of Bi2ZnB2O7 and poly(vinylidene fluoride). A comparison of electrospun and composite fibers showed a significant increase in β-phase content. XRD and FTIR were used to characterize the samples' structures. FE-SEM and HR-TEM were also used to examine sample morphology. The optical properties of the BBZO-PVDF membrane were further assessed using UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The composite membrane's effectiveness was tested using photocatalysis, piezocatalysis, and photo-piezocatalysis. Methylene blue (MB) dye was degraded by these methods. The synergy between light and piezoelectric actions improved degradation performance significantly. It achieved a 74% degrading efficiency and a kinetic rate constant of 7.3 × 10−3 min−1. The findings show that the BBZO-PVDF composite membrane has great potential for enhanced environmental remediation and catalytic processes.

A Mini Review of Ceramic-Based MOF Membranes for Water Treatment.

Ceramic membranes have been increasingly employed in water treatment owing to their merits such as high-stability, anti-oxidation, long lifespan and environmental friendliness. The application of ceramic membranes mainly focuses on microfiltration and ultrafiltration processes, and some precise separation can be achieved by introducing novel porous materials with superior selectivity. Recently, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have developed a wide spectrum of applications in the fields of the environment, energy, water treatment and gas separation due to the diversity and tunable advantages of metal clusters and organic ligands. Although the issue of water stability in MOF materials inhibits the development of MOF membranes in water treatment, researchers still overcome many obstacles to advance the application of MOF membranes in water treatment processes. To the best of our knowledge, there is still a lack of a reviews on the development process and prospects of ceramic-based MOF membranes for water treatment. Therefore, in this review, we mainly summarize the fabrication method for ceramic-based MOF membranes and their application in water treatment, such as water/salt separation, pollutant separation, heavy metal separation, etc. Following this, based on the high structural, thermal and chemical stability of ceramic substrates, and the high controllability of MOF materials, the superiority and insufficient use of ceramic-based MOF membranes in the field of water treatment are critically discussed.

Metal-Organic Framework/Polyvinyl Alcohol Composite Films for Multiple Applications Prepared by Different Methods.

The incorporation of different functional fillers has been widely used to improve the properties of polymeric materials. The polyhydroxy structure of PVA with excellent film-forming ability can be easily combined with organic/inorganic multifunctional compounds, and such an interesting combining phenomenon can create a variety of functional materials in the field of materials science. The composite membrane material obtained by combining MOF material with high porosity, specific surface area, and adjustable structure with PVA, a non-toxic and low-cost polymer material with good solubility and biodegradability, can combine the processability of PVA with the excellent performance of porous filler MOFs, solving the problem that the poor machinability of MOFs and the difficulty of recycling limit the practical application of powdered MOFs and improving the physicochemical properties of PVA, maximizing the advantages of the material to develop a wider range of applications. Firstly, we systematically summarize the preparation of MOF/PVA composite membrane materials using solution casting, electrostatic spinning, and other different methods for such excellent properties, in addition to discussing in detail the various applications of MOF/PVA composite membranes in water treatment, sensing, air purification, separation, antibacterials, and so on. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the difficulties that need to be overcome during the film formation process to affect the performance of the composite film and offer encouraging solutions.

One-pot synthesis of NH2-MIL-101(Fe) and α – Fe2O3 composite as efficient heterojunction for multifunctional photocatalytic membranes: Towards zero waste generation

Here in, one-pot synthesis of amine functionalized iron-based Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) namely NH2-MIL-101(Fe) is systematically tuned such that it also results in formation of morphology-oriented iron-oxide (α-Fe2O3) along with MOF, without adding any additional precursor. Ligand deficiency facilitates the free amine group of ligands to drive the formation of metal oxide (MO). This composite of MO and MOF behaves as a heterojunction that efficiently separates charge carriers and allows good photocatalytic activity, with more than 95 % degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The composite was then integrated into nanofiber membranes for water treatment, it resulted in overall 94 % rejection, with 20 % of MB being degraded simultaneously during this rejection and, this can be considered as fairly good for an emerging process that comprises of simultaneous degradation and separation. The new thermally stable and self-cleaning heterojunction MOF membranes developed in this study have sparked hopes as promising materials for near to zero waste generation in water treatment.