Performance Of PVDF Membranes Research Articles

Ultraviolet Grafting of Bismuth Oxide Enhances the Photocatalytic Performance of PVDF Membrane and Improves the Problem of Membrane Fouling.

Photocatalytic membranes are crucial in addressing membrane fouling issues. However, the grafting amount of the catalyst on the membrane often becomes a key factor in restricting the membrane's self-cleaning capability. To address the challenge, this manuscript proposes a method for solving membrane fouling, featuring high grafting rates of bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) and acrylic acid (AA), significant contaminant degradation capability, and reusability. A highly photocatalytic self-cleaning microfiltration membrane made of polyvinylidene fluoride bismuth oxide and acrylic acid (PVDF-g-BA) was prepared by attaching nano Bi2O3 and acrylic acid onto the polyvinylidene fluoride membrane through adsorption/deposition and UV grafting polymerization. Compared with pure membranes and pure acrylic grafted membranes (PVDF-g-AA), the modified membrane grafted with 0.5% bismuth oxide not only improves the grafting rate and filtration performance, but also has higher self-cleaning ability. Furthermore, the degradation effect of this membrane on the organic dye methyl violet 2B under visible light irradiation is very significant, with a degradation rate reaching 90% and almost complete degradation after 12 h. Finally, after repeated filtration and photocatalysis, the membrane can still significantly degrade contaminants and can be reused.

Zeolite-Based Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Ultrafiltration Membrane: Characterization and Molecular Weight Cut-Off Estimation with Support Vector Regression Modelling.

Zeolite serves as a promising additive for enhancing the hydrophilicity of polymeric membranes, yet its utilization for bolstering the mechanical strength of the membrane remains limited. In this study, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes were modified by incorporating various concentrations of zeolite (0.5-2 wt%) to improve not only their mechanical properties, but also other features for water filtration. Membranes with and without zeolite incorporation were fabricated via a dry-wet phase inversion technique, followed by the application of a series of characterization techniques in order to study their morphological structure, mechanical strength, and hydrophilicity. The membrane filtration performance for each membrane was evaluated based on pure water flux and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) rejection. Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) images revealed a dense, microvoid-free structure across all of the PVDF membranes, contributing to a high pristine PVDF membrane tensile strength of 14 MPa. The addition of 0.5 wt% zeolite significantly improved the tensile strength up to 19.4 MPa. Additionally, the incorporation of 1 wt% zeolite into PVDF membrane yielded improvements in membrane hydrophilicity (contact angle of 67.84°), pure water flux (63.49% increase), and high BSA rejection (95.76%) compared to pristine PVDF membranes. To further improve the characterization of the zeolite-modified PVDF membranes, the Support Vector Regression (SVR) model was adopted to estimate the molecular weight cut off (MWCO) of the membranes. A coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.855 was obtained, suggesting that the SVR model predicted the MWCO accurately. The findings of this study showed that the utilization of zeolite is promising in enhancing both the mechanical properties and separation performance of PVDF membranes for application in ultrafiltration processes.

Improved performance of the ultrafiltration membranes by simple modification with air plasma treatment and polymeric deposition

AbstractThis study seeks to increase the antifouling properties of fluorinated polyvinylidene (PVDF) membranes through the synergistic application of plasma treatment and polymer deposition, employing polymerizations of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyethyleneimine (PEI). The results show remarkable success in modifications, presenting exceptional performance. Two distinct surface modification methods, plasma treatment and polymer deposition, were used to improve the antifouling properties and filtration performance of PVDF membranes. The plasma used was a discharge dielectric barrier using ambient air as gas, and hydrophilic polymers, PVP, and PEI. The results outlined changes in membrane roughness with a significant roughness reduction of up to 43% evident based on topographic and morphological analyses. Hydraulic permeability analysis revealed a substantial 35‐fold increase, indicating a notable improvement in performance. All treated membranes exhibited higher water affinity and superior performance during 12‐h ultrafiltration compared to their untreated counterparts. After chemical cleaning, water flux recovery exceeded 85% for all treated membranes, indicating the inherent antifouling properties of the surface.

Enhancing filtration flux and antifouling performance of PVDF membrane constructed from semi-interpenetrating network and block copolymers

Organic fouling causes the filtration property and serve life decrease of the PVDF membrane and is the challenge for filtration applications. Therefore, it is an urgency desire to construct a PVDF membrane with good filtration and antifouling for researchers. To this end, a based PVDF and poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)(PNIPA) semi-interpenetrating network polymer was synthesized and used as membrane matrix for preparing semi-interpenetrating network/block copolymers blend membrane. The membrane composition, structure and performance were systematically characterized and investigated by FTIR spectrum, XPS, SEM, contact angle instrument and the other experimental techniques etc. Results indicate that the prepared membrane contains PVDF, PNIPA and block copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b- poly(ethylene oxide) (F127) components, shows a porous cross section comprising a thin top surface layer with small pores, a finger-shape lower layer and a sponge-shape pore bottom layer. When the membrane are used for the filtration of bovine serum albumin(BSA) in aqueous solution at 25 ℃, the rejection can exceed 95.0% at a high flux of 307 L/(m2·h·bar). Simply raising filtration temperature to 60 °C, the flux can reach 606 L/(m2·h·bar) while the rejection barely changes, significantly improving the filtration ability of the membrane. Furthermore, the flux can recover above 93% of the original value after a BSA filtration and a subsequent water washing. Undoubtedly, the prepared membrane displays great potential for filtering BSA aqueous solution and the reason can be ascribed to the synergy between PNIPA and F127 of the membrane.

Developing a versatile and resilient PVDF/CeO2@GO-COOH photocatalytic membrane for efficient treatment of antibiotic-contaminated wastewater

This study focuses on enhancing the performance of PVDF membranes by incorporating CeO2 photocatalyst in combination with carboxyl-functionalized graphene oxide (GO-COOH). The carboxyl groups of GO-COOH serve a dual purpose: providing anchoring sites for CeO2 and enhancing the interfacial interaction with the polymer. The PVDF/CeO2@GO-COOH membranes were fabricated using sequence of physical blending and phase inversion processes, resulting in significantly improved internal structure with an average pore size diameter of 1.20–1.35 nm. Moreover, the CeO2@GO-COOH photocatalyst exhibited superior compatibility with PVDF. The as-prepared PVDF/CeO2@GO-COOH photocatalytic membranes (PMs) demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic activity, outperforming PVDF/CeO2, achieving degradation efficiencies of 85.55 % for ciprofloxacin and 84.82 % for sulfanilamide (both at 20 mg/L) under UV irradiation for 150 min. Photo-filtration experiments confirmed the synergistic effect of molecular separation and photodegradation, resulting in the removal of 99.5 % of ciprofloxacin and 79.5 % of sulfanilamide, coupled with a relatively high pure water flux of 115.44 L.m−2.h−1. The PM also exhibited excellent stability, self-cleaning properties, and reusability, with a flux recovery rate (FRR) of 97.5 % after five cycles of use. Finally, the PVDF/CeO2@GO-COOH membrane holds great promise for the treatment of pharmaceutical industry wastewater, offering a comprehensive solution that combines efficient pollutant degradation, high permeate flux, stability, and reusability.

Improvement of Selectivity and Antifouling Properties of Chitosan-modified Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Membrane for Protein Filtration

<p>Protein with high purity is currently a valuable commercial commodity, prized for its high value and application in specialized functions. PVDF-based membrane technology has found widespread use in protein purification processes. However, the issue of fouling on the membrane surface frequently hampers the performance of PVDF membranes. The present study aims to enhance PVDF membranes' selectivity and antifouling properties through chitosan modification, thereby optimizing protein filtration. PVDF and PVDF/Chitosan membranes were fabricated using the phase inversion technique, followed by a comprehensive characterization of their surface properties, thermal attributes, and performance in bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein filtration. The collected data revealed notable increases in membrane hydrophilicity, porosity, and pure water flux due to the incorporation of chitosan. The membrane protein rejection capabilities were significantly enhanced to levels exceeding 90% with the introduction of 0.5% chitosan. Moreover, as the chitosan concentration increased, the membrane exhibited superior antifouling characteristics, with the 0.5% chitosan concentration yielding the highest Flux Recovery Ratio (FRR) value of 85.35%. Considering the significant improvement selectivity and antifouling properties in the combined system, the chitosan-modified PVDF membrane holds substantial promise in protein purification applications.</p>

Improvement of Selectivity and Antifouling Properties of Chitosan-modified Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Membrane for Protein Filtration

<p>Protein with high purity is currently a valuable commercial commodity, prized for its high value and application in specialized functions. PVDF-based membrane technology has found widespread use in protein purification processes. However, the issue of fouling on the membrane surface frequently hampers the performance of PVDF membranes. The present study aims to enhance PVDF membranes' selectivity and antifouling properties through chitosan modification, thereby optimizing protein filtration. PVDF and PVDF/Chitosan membranes were fabricated using the phase inversion technique, followed by a comprehensive characterization of their surface properties, thermal attributes, and performance in bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein filtration. The collected data revealed notable increases in membrane hydrophilicity, porosity, and pure water flux due to the incorporation of chitosan. The membrane protein rejection capabilities were significantly enhanced to levels exceeding 90% with the introduction of 0.5% chitosan. Moreover, as the chitosan concentration increased, the membrane exhibited superior antifouling characteristics, with the 0.5% chitosan concentration yielding the highest Flux Recovery Ratio (FRR) value of 85.35%. Considering the significant improvement selectivity and antifouling properties in the combined system, the chitosan-modified PVDF membrane holds substantial promise in protein purification applications.</p><p> </p><p><img src="/public/site/images/fitria/rsz_72110.png" alt="" /></p>

Modification of PVDF membrane for harvesting of Nannochloropsis sp. and its cleaning results

One of the biggest challenges in implementing microalgae-based biofuels is the effective harvesting process. Filtration membrane has become one of the flexible methods in microalgae harvesting. This study investigated the harvesting of Nannochloropsis sp. using a modified PVDF membrane at various LiCl as an additive with N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solvent. Harvesting of Nannochloropsis sp. with PVDF membrane has never been reported before. The addition of LiCl can improve the performance of PVDF membrane due to LiCl has a great affinity for water, resulted in inducing the formation of the pore structure of membrane. The optimum membrane composition was determined at various LiCl additive from 1% to 3% (w/w). The hydrophilicity of the membrane increased as indicated by the increasing of water permeance, which were 516, 546, 660, and 614 l m−2h−1 bar−1 for neat PVDF, PVDF/LiCl-1, PVDF/LiCl-2, and PVDF/LiCl-3 membrane, respectively. PVDF/LiCl-2 membrane showed the highest water permeance and the highest total average permeance (150 l m−2h−1 bar−1) with 100% rejection of Nannochloropsis sp. harvesting. The membranes was cleaned using sodium hypochlorite, citric acid, and nitric acid. The SEM results showed that the membrane after cleaning appears the algae particles in the membrane pore. Furthermore, algae particles were almost not visible on cleaned membrane. The FTIR results showed an absorption at 3401 cm−1, which was a characteristic of the hydrogen N–H bond, also including a typical amide uptake (C=O) at 1648 cm−1 indicating protein appearance. Moreover, the cleaned membrane did not appear any absorption that indicates the foulant.

PVDF mixed matrix membranes by incorporation of ionic liquid and MXene for enhancing permeation and antifouling performance

Aiming to enhance permeation and anti-fouling performance of PVDF membrane, IL/PVDF and MXene-IL/PVDF mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated by incorporating 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide ionic liquid (IL) and MXene-IL. The microstructures of IL/PVDF and MXene-IL/PVDF MMMs were characterized by TEM, SEM, FTIR, XRD, and XPS analysis. The performance of the MMMs was evaluated in the dead-end filtration, and results showed that IL addition would increase the pore size and hydrophilicity of IL/PVDF MMMs, thereby enhancing water flux and anti-fouling performance of the MMMs. However, IL would be dissolved out from IL/PVDF MMMs during the filtration process, which would depress the flux recovery rate of the MMMs. For MXene-IL/PVDF MMMs, IL was encapsulated by intercalating into the MXene nanosheets and effectively prevented the loss of IL from Mxene-IL/PVDF MMMs in the running process. MXene-IL/PVDF MMMs had high water flux and antifouling performance, and the maximum flux recovery rate of MXene-IL co-incorporated PVDF MMMs reached 96% after four-cycle filtration, and the corresponding water flux was 129.37 L·m−2·h−1. Compared with PVDF membrane, pure water flux and flux recovery rate of MXene-IL/PVDF mixed matrix membranes increased by 4.37 and 1.83 times, respectively.

Effects of PEG200 on the Properties and Performance of PVDF Membranes in the Separation of Methanol- Water Mixtures by Pervaporation

Effects of PEG200 on the Properties and Performance of PVDF Membranes in the Separation of Methanol- Water Mixtures by Pervaporation

Anticorrosion Performance of PVDF Membranes Modified by Blending PTFE Nanoemulsion and Prepared through Usual Non-Solvent-Induced Phase Inversion Method.

In this study, PVDF/PTFE composite membranes were prepared by adding a PTFE nanoemulsion to a PVDF solution and casting it through the conventional non-solvent-induced phase separation method. The objective was to explore the effectiveness of using a simple and economical method to modify PVDF membranes with PTFE to enhance their anticorrosion performance, especially under highly acidic or alkaline conditions. PTFE nanoparticles (of around 200 nm in size) in nanoemulsion form were blended with PVDF at a mass ratio of PTFE:PVDF in the range of 0–0.3:1. The obtained membranes were examined to determine the effect of the added PTFE nanoparticles on the structure of the modified PVDF membranes as well as on their mechanical strength and surface characteristics. The membranes were then immersed in various concentrations of acidic or alkaline solutions for varied durations ranging from a few days up to as long as 180 days (6 months). The impacts of by the corrosive solutions on the tensile strength, surface roughness, and water flux of the membranes with different exposure times were quantified. The results showed that although a certain extent of change may occur with extended immersion times, greatly enhanced anticorrosion performance was obtained with the prepared PVDF/PTFE membranes compared with the unmodified PVDF membrane. For example, after being immersed in 5 mol-H+··L−1 H2SO4, HCl, and HNO3 solutions for 6 months, the tensile strength at breaking point remained at up to 69.70, 74.07, and 71.38%, respectively, of the initial strength for the PVDF/PTFE (M30) membrane. This was in contrast to values of only 55.77, 70.43, and 61.78% for the unmodified PVDF membrane (M0). Although the water flux and surface roughness showed a change trends to the tensile strength, the PVDF/PTFE (M30) membrane had much higher stability than the PVDF (M0) membrane. In a continuous filtration experiment containing H2SO4 at 0.01 mol-H+·L−1 for 336 h (14 days), the PVDF/PTFE membrane showed a maximum flux change of less than 30%. This was in comparison with a change of up to 50% for the PVDF membrane. However, the PVDF/PTFE membranes did not seem to have a greatly enhanced anticorrosion performance in the alkaline solution environment tested.

Improvement of Membrane Distillation Using PVDF Membrane Incorporated with TiO2 Modified by Silane and Optimization of Fabricating Conditions

The objectives in this study are to improve the performance of PVDF membrane by incorporating TiO2 and silane at various dosages and optimize fabricating conditions by using response surface methodology (RSM) for membrane distillation (MD) application. The PVDF membrane was synthesized by phase inversion method using various TiO2, silane and polymer concentrations. Membranes were characterized by performing contact angle measurements, SEM and FTIR observations. Ammonia rejection and permeate flux were measured by operating a direct contact distillation module treating ammonium chloride solution. A PVDF membrane created by adding TiO2 modified by silane improved membrane hydrophobicity. However, the effect of silane on membrane hydrophobicity was less pronounced at higher TiO2 concentrations. Highest ammonium rejection was associated with the highest membrane hydrophobicity. RSM analysis showed that fabricating conditions to achieve highest flux (10.10 L/m2·h) and ammonium rejection (100.0%) could be obtained at 31.3% silane, 2.50% TiO2, and 15.48% polymer concentrations. With a PVDF-TiO2 composite membrane for MD application, the effect of TiO2 was dependent upon silane concentration. Increasing silane concentration improved membrane hydrophobicity and ammonium rejection. RSM analysis was found to bea useful way to explore optimum fabricating conditions of membranes for the permeate flux and ammonium rejection in MD.

In situ synthesizing silver nanoparticels by bio-derived gallic acid to enhance antimicrobial performance of PVDF membrane

Modifying membranes with nanoparticles is a promising approach to mitigate biofouling in membrane preparation processes. However, high costs of the modification agents limit the practical applications of this approach. In this work, we developed a cost-effective and ecofriendly method to provide polyvinylidene fluoride membrane with a strong antimicrobial activity by loading silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In this approach, gallic acid (GA) was used as a capturing and reducing agent to in situ synthesize AgNPs on membrane surface. The resulting AgNPs-functionalized membrane exhibited a 3.5-fold higher pure water flux and enhanced antifouling capacity compared to the control membrane. Specifically, AgNPs endowed the membrane a compelling antimicrobial activity on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, evidenced by diffusion inhibition zone and bacterial proliferation test results. More importantly, pomegranate peel extracts rich in GA was effectively used in such a membrane functionalization approach. Taken together, this work demonstrates the robust in situ fabrication of antimicrobial AgNPs-functionalized membranes through bio-derived GA and provides a promising alternative for their potential practical applications.

Effect of chitosan-zinc oxide coated in PVDF membrane; morphology and performance testing

PVDF membrane modification has been done by coating it using chitosan which is mixed with zinc oxide. This study was conducted to determine the effect of chitosan-zinc oxide hybrid on PVDF membrane’s hydrophobicity and performance. The coating has been processed by immersing PVDF membrane into a chitosan-zinc oxide hybrid solution with a ratio chitosan : zinc oxide of 1: 0 (M1), 6: 1 (M2), 4: 1 (M3), and 2: 1 (M4). Membrane morphology characterization was carried out by FE-SEM and FTIR. Water contact angle analysis and performance test was conducted to determine the effect of chitosan and zinc oxide on the hydrophobicity, permeability, percent rejection, and antifouling performance of PVDF membrane. The result of water contact angle analysis shows that the more zinc oxide was added to chitosan-zinc oxide hybrid, the hydrophobicity of membrane was decreased. Membrane performance test shows that the most stable membrane permeability to time is membrane M4, while the membrane with the most stable permeability to pressure is PVDF membrane without coating (membrane M). The best rejection performance ad flux recovery ratio of membranes is shown by membrane M4.

Effect of CaCl2 addition on crystal structure and separation performance of PVDF membranes: an experimental and molecular simulation study

Effect of CaCl2 addition on crystal structure and separation performance of PVDF membranes: an experimental and molecular simulation study

Morphology and performance of pvdf membranes composed of triethylphospate and dimethyl sulfoxide solvents

This study investigated the impact of different solvents on the characteristics and filtration performance of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. PVDF membranes were fabricated via the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) technique by dissolving 20% w/w PVDF in triethyl phosphate (TEP) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), separately. The Hansen solubility parameter was studied as the kinetic aspect that influences membrane formation. The characteristics of the membranes were investigated including the membrane morphological structure, surface roughness, chemical group composition, and tensile strength. The filtration performance of the resulting membranes was also conducted using cross-flow filtration including pure water permeability (PWP), synthetic CaCO3 suspension rejection, and membrane recovery after long-term filtration. The experimental results showed that DMSO has a closer solvent affinity with the non-solvent resulting in a membrane with higher porosity than the TEP membrane with a denser structure. Furthermore, the PVDF/DMSO membrane also had higher PWP than the PVDF/TEP membrane. However, in terms of the filtration performance of the CaCO3 suspension, the PVDF/TEP membrane showed the best performance with higher flux permeation, better flux recovery of up to 96.6%, and the highest solute rejection reaching 100%. The analysis of the experimental results are discussed further.

Characteristics and performance of PVDF membrane prepared by using NaCl coagulation bath: Relationship between membrane polymorphous structure and organic fouling

In ultrafiltration (UF) applications, the antifouling modification of semi-crystalline poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane aroused extensive attention. However, efforts have paid less attention to the roles of PVDF polymorphs in fouling alleviation. In this study, we report a new strategy to tailor the polymorphs and pore structure of the PVDF membranes, simultaneously, via incorporating the in-situ blending of Pluronic F127 (F127) with a sodium chloride (NaCl) coagulation bath (CB). The NaCl CBs were utilized to create ion-dipole interactions between Na+ and PVDF molecule chains, and to promote the formation of polar β-PVDF phase during phase inversion process. When cooperated with the NaCl CBs, due to the intensified copolymer-polymer interactions, blending amphipathic F127 was demonstrated more effective in manipulating the membrane morphology compared with blending hydrophilic additives. The prepared membrane possessed a highly porous surface with narrowed size distribution, resulting in a great enhancement for both the permeability and selectivity. Furthermore, isopropanol (IPA) post-treatment was purposely performed to wash out the F127 embedded in the membrane matrix. The dominating β-PVDF phase almost doubled the surface energy of the pure PVDF membrane compared with the α-PVDF phase, especially in electron donor functionality, which endowed the membrane enhanced fouling resistance for natural organic matter. As the fouling resistance introduced by polymer itself is more attractive than by exotic additives due to the better stability, we anticipate this new strategy will have numerous potential applications in the future.

Enhanced performance of polyvinylidene fluoride ultrafiltration membranes by incorporating TiO2/graphene oxide

Aiming to enhance the water flux and anti-fouling performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) ultrafiltration membranes, TiO2–GO/PVDF membranes were first fabricated via blending and immersion precipitation phase inversion. Following that, TiO2–GO nanocomposites grafted with different polyethylene glycol (PEG) were employed as the additives to prepare the novel PVDF hybrid membranes. FTIR spectroscope, SEM, zeta potentiometer, and static contact angle analyzer were employed to characterize the structure and surface properties of the hybrid membranes. Ultrafiltration was used to evaluate the membrane performance. Results showed that the interaction between GO and TiO2 led to the good distribution of TiO2–GO in the polymeric membrane, which increased the polarity and porosity of the hybrid membranes, thus increasing their water flux and anti-fouling performance. The maximum flux of hybrid membranes was four times that of the neat PVDF membrane. The PEG grafted on the TiO2–GO nanocomposites did not only act as a pore-forming additive, but also improved the hydrophilicity and porosity of the hybrid membrane due to the enhancement on the distribution and surface polarity of TiO2–GO. Therefore, both the flux and anti-fouling performance of PVDF membranes containing PEG-modified TiO2–GO were significantly higher than those of membranes including unmodified TiO2–GO.

PVDF membranes embedded with PVP functionalized nanodiamond for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment

The effect of neat and modified nanodiamond (ND) nanoparticles on the structure and performance of PVDF membranes was studied. ND was first oxidized (O-ND) thermally, then silanized (S-ND) using the esterification reaction by vinyltrimethoxysilane, and finally was PVP functionalized (P-ND) via surface initiated free-radical polymerization method. The results of FTIR analysis revealed that PVP was successfully immobilized onto ND nanoparticles. Different percentages of ND and P-ND nanoparticles were then embedded into PVDF membranes. The results showed that the hydriphilicity and water flux of membranes improved as the percentage of nanoparticles increased. Moreover, the number of pores on the surface of PVDF/P-ND membrane increased in comparison to neat PVDF and PVDF/ND membranes even though the pore size distribution curve of PVDF/P-ND membrane was shifted towards smaller pores. In addition, the presence of ND and P-ND nanoparticles within PVDF membranes increased the portion of β–phase in the PVDF structure which resulted in abrasion and fouling resistant membranes. The performance of neat PVDF, 1.5wt. % PVDF/ND and 1.5wt. % PVDF/P-ND membranes was studied in MBR system with pharmaceutical wastewater feed and it was found that antifouling properties PVDF/P-ND membrane were better than that of PVDF/ND membrane.

Enhanced antifouling performance of ZnS/GO/PVDF hybrid membrane by improving hydrophilicity and photocatalysis

In order to improve the antifouling performance of PVDF membrane, a novel zinc sulfide/graphene oxide/polyvinylidene fluoride (ZnS/GO/PVDF) composite membrane was prepared by immersed phase inversion method. The surface morphology, crystal structure, photocatalytic activity, and antifouling property of the as‐prepared membranes were systematically studied. Results showed that the ZnS/GO/PVDF hybrid membranes were successfully fabricated with uniform surface. The hybrid membrane surface possessed higher hydrophilicity with water contact angle decreasing from 77.1° to 62.2°. The permeability of the hybrid membrane was therefore enhanced from 222.9 to 326.1 L/(m2 hour). Moreover, bovine serum albumin (BSA) retention experiment showed that the hybrid membrane separation was also promoted by 7.2%. The blending of ZnS and GO enhanced the hydrophilic and photocatalytic performances of PVDF membrane, which mitigated the membrane fouling effectively. This novel hybrid membrane could accelerate the practical application of photocatalytic technology in membrane separation process.