Thin Film Nanocomposite Forward Osmosis Research Articles

Amino acid-based nanoparticles-incorporated thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membranes for efficient desalination and heavy metal ions rejection

The current study explores potential applications of state-of-the-art thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis (TFN-FO) membranes, modified with histidine-functionalized graphene quantum dots (His-GQDs) and MIP-202(Zr) nanoparticles (NPs), for sustainable desalination and heavy metal ions rejection. The porous and layered structure of the applied NPs, along with various hydrophilic functional groups on their surface, contribute to improving the fabricated membranes' ion/water separation performance. The successful preparation and incorporation of desired NPs into the polyamide layer was investigated using typical analytical methods. Under the common FO test conditions, the best-performing TFN-MQ2 membrane displayed a water flux of 21.8 LMH, which was over 1.5 times greater than the water flux of blank TFC. Simultaneously, the selectivity was found to be approximately 1.7 times greater than that of the unmodified TFC membrane. Moreover, the optimal TFN-MQ2 membrane exhibited superior rejection rates for Cu2+ ions (98.5 %) and Pb2+ ions (98.1 %), surpassing all other samples in heavy metal ion rejection. The findings of this study suggest that carefully choosing cost-efficient and eco-friendly nanofillers (such as amino acid-based NPs) can enhance the desalination performance of TFN-FO membranes and bolster their resistance to fouling and rejection of heavy metal ions. Not to mention, the overall costs of membrane production will be reduced.

Thin-Film Nanocomposite Forward Osmosis Membranes Incorporated with Hydrophilic TiO2/Fe3O4 Nanoparticles: Toward Alleviated ICP

Thin-Film Nanocomposite Forward Osmosis Membranes Incorporated with Hydrophilic TiO2/Fe3O4 Nanoparticles: Toward Alleviated ICP

Lignosulfonate-Coated ZIF-8 as an Effective Nanofiller to Prepare High-Performance Thin-Film Nanocomposite Forward Osmosis Membrane for Heavy Metal Ions Removal

Lignosulfonate-Coated ZIF-8 as an Effective Nanofiller to Prepare High-Performance Thin-Film Nanocomposite Forward Osmosis Membrane for Heavy Metal Ions Removal

Effect of titanium oxide/reduced graphene (TiO2/rGO) addition onto water flux and reverse salt diffusion thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membranes

Thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) forward osmosis (FO) membranes have attracted significant attention due to their potential for solving global water scarcity problems. In this study, we investigate the impact of titanium oxide (TiO2) and titanium oxide/reduced graphene (TiO2/rGO) additions on the performance of TFN-FO membranes, specifically focusing on water flux and reverse salt diffusion. Membranes with varying concentrations of TiO2 and TiO2/rGO were fabricated as interfacial polymerizing M-phenylenediamine (MPD) and benzenetricarbonyl tricholoride (TMC) monomers with TiO2 and its reduced graphene composites (TiO2/rGO). The TMC solution was supplemented with TiO2 and its reduced graphene composites (TiO2/rGO) to enhance FO performance and reverse solute flux. All MPD/TMC polyamide membranes are characterized using various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle measurements. The results demonstrate that incorporating TiO2/rGO into the membrane thin layer improves water flux and reduces reverse salt diffusion. In contrast to the TFC membrane (10.24 L m−2h−1 and 6.53 g/m2 h), higher water flux and higher reverse solute flux were detected in the case of TiO2and TiO2/rGO-merged TFC skin membranes (18.81 and 24.52 L m−2h−1 and 2.74 and 2.15 g/m2 h, respectively). The effects of TiO2 and TiO2/rGO stacking on the skin membrane and the performance of TiO2 and TiO2/rGO skin membranes have been thoroughly studied. Additionally, being investigated is the impact of draw solution concentration.Graphical

Fabrication of novel (Cr) based (MIL-101) incorporated mixed matrix forward osmosis membranes for environmental remediation

This paper focusses on the fabrication of a thin film nanocomposite forward osmosis (FO) membrane using PA support. This was done through interfacial polymerization with MOF MIL-101(Cr). There are various methods which are used for the purification of water such as ion-exchange method; reverse osmosis, adsorption, solvent extraction but these are expensive, old and timing consuming. So there is need of a unique and reliable method which is cheap, easy, less time consuming, pollution free and can give better results. For this purpose, I have worked on FO membranes with the incorporation of novel MOF MIL-101(Cr). By using different characterization methods, the surface properties, chemical composition and structure of FO membranes based on MOF MIL-101(Cr) were studied. This coating has done by layer by method therefore has larger pores to higher selective layer roughness. It also enhanced the membrane permeability and heavy metal rejection because MOF MIL-101(Cr) has unique structures and desirable mechanical and chemical properties. This MOF has high thermal stability, greater surface area and high porosity. It was observed that TNF membranes provide ultrafast nano-channels for water transport, higher water flux and lower the solute reverse flux as compared to TFC membranes without MIL-101(Cr). The results of FO thin film nanocomposite membranes based on MOF MIL-101(Cr) have shown the 81 % heavy metal rejection than simple polyamide membranes. This FO method will offer further promising applications, opportunities and excellent separation performances to produce composite membranes with thin films on microfiltration substrates to mitigate concentration polarization.

Fabrication of novel Zn (II)-imidazole based mixed matrix membranes for heavy metal removals from drinking water

Abstract Heavy metals presence in the potable water is a terrible dilemma notably for emergent countries and could be carcinogenic. Currently, interfacial polymerization (IP) was applied for the production of thin film nanocomposite forward osmosis (TFN-FO) membrane using polyacrylonitrile support. For this purpose, Zn (II)-imidazole metal Organic framework (MOF) was employed as a nanofiller into polymeric membranes this modification was found useful for the removal of heavy metals. Different characterization techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were used for the assessment of morphology, elemental arrangement, functional groups and crystalline nature of the prepared FO membrane. It was observed that synthesized Zn-MOF based FO membrane displays high water flux by increasing the number of pores in the membrane. Additionally, this particular FO membrane was custom-made for lower reverse solute flux and concentration polarization. This ensures minimum withdrawal of salt from the draw solution (DS) to the feed solution (FS). So, the prepared Zn-MOF based FO membrane produce synergistic outcomes for the removal of metals and this strategy could possibly be used as novel way for removal of toxic pollutants.

Polyethersulfone/polyamide thin-film nanocomposite membrane decorated by WS2-Cys-UiO-66-(CO2H)2 nanocomposites for forward osmosis

The fabrication of some new high-performance WS2-Cys-MOF-incorporated thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) forward osmosis (FO) membranes for use in desalination applications is reported. Herein, WS2-Cys-MOF nanosheets are synthesized through UiO-66-(CO2H)2 grafting on WS2-Cys and integrated into the PA selective layer of TFN membranes. The nanofillers content in the MPD aqueous solution was varied from 0 to 0.25 wt% to acquire the optimal loading and the best FO performance. The presence of polymer-matrix compatible WS2-Cys-MOF in the PA selective layer led to the formation of a defect-free smooth surface with additional channels within this layer, which can boost water flux and fouling resistance of TFN membranes. The TFN-0.1 membrane containing 0.1 wt% WS2-Cys-MOF results in the best FO desalination performance. Compared to the virgin TFC membrane, its water fluxes are almost doubled with a slight increase in the selectivity ∼18% evaluated under AL-FS orientation using 1 M NaCl as the draw solution and deionized water as the feed solution. Moreover, in the fouling test, this optimum TFN-0.1 membrane with a flux decline of 7.63% revealed a ∼1.4-fold enhancement in anti-fouling tendency. Hence, these high-performance WS2-Cys-MOF-incorporated TFN membranes show excellent potential for commercial utilization in the FO-desalination application.

Novel Thin-Film Nanocomposite Forward Osmosis Membranes Modified with WS2/CuAl LDH Nanocomposite to Enhance Desalination and Anti-fouling Performance

Designing efficient membranes for desalination to help reduce the water shortage crisis has been the subject of various studies. In this study, first, CuAl LDH nanosheets were prepared and the surface of some thin-film composite (TFC) membranes was modified by them. Afterward, the novel heterostructure nanocomposite consisting of CuAl LDH and WS2 nanosheets was synthesized by hydrothermal method, and a new kind of thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes were made using them. All the obtained membranes performance was studied in the forward osmosis (FO) process. The effects of the prepared compounds on the morphology, chemical structure, hydrophilicity, and topology of the polyamide (PA) active layer were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), water contact angle (WCA) goniometer and atomic force microscope (AFM) analysis. Finally, by comparing the results for both types of modified membranes, the membrane containing 0.025 wt% of the nanocomposite modifier showed the highest water flux (29.30 LMH) and selectivity (0.38 g/L) that was chosen as the optimal membrane. Also, the anti-fouling properties of this membrane were studied and the obtained results showed an increase in the fouling resistance compared to the membrane without filler.

Polyacrylamide-grafted zinc oxide (ZnO-g-PAM) nanoparticles as a promising nanofiller for thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membranes

Polyacrylamide-grafted zinc oxide (ZnO-g-PAM) nanoparticles as a promising nanofiller for thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membranes

Thin-Film Nanocomposite Forward Osmosis Membranes Prepared on PVC Substrates with Polydopamine Functionalized Zr-Based Metal Organic Frameworks

Thin-Film Nanocomposite Forward Osmosis Membranes Prepared on PVC Substrates with Polydopamine Functionalized Zr-Based Metal Organic Frameworks

Thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membrane for water desalination: synthesis, characterization and performance improvement

Abstract The major scope of this study is the fabrication and development of a substrate and polyamide rejection layer for an efficient thin-film hydrophilic composite forward osmosis (TFC-FO) membrane. Fabrication of a thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membrane employing interfacial polymerization and modification of substrate characteristics using titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles as additives (TFNC-FO) are studied. Characterizations of the prepared TFC-FO and TFNC-FO membranes were determined. The morphologies of cross-section, upper and bottom surfaces for the TFC-FO and TFNC-FO membranes were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy was used to examine the compositions of different elements for both membranes. The hydrophilicity of the prepared TFC-FO and TFNC-FO membranes was investigated using the measurement of the contact angle test. A Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometer was used to observe the existing functional groups of the TFC-FO and TFNC-FO membranes. The thermal stability of the membrane was evaluated via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The overall performance of TFC-FO membranes was evaluated with and without adding TiO2 nanoparticles through different parameters, such as membrane flux, initial feed concentration, draw solution concentrations, reverse solute fluxes, membrane permeabilities, and finally, the effect of FO membrane orientations. FO membrane performance was successfully enhanced by adding different concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles from 0.5 to 1.5 wt%. The findings indicated that an increase in the concentration from 0.5 to 1 wt% leads to a clear increase in both the porosity and hydrophilicity of the nanocomposite substrate and consequently, an increase in the water flux. However, further increasing the concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles to more than 1 wt% affects the membrane performance.

Surface modification of thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membrane with super-hydrophilic MIL-53 (Al) for doxycycline removal as an emerging contaminant and membrane antifouling property enhancement

• This work is the first study on the incorporation of MIL-53 (Al) into a TFN-FO membrane. • TFN 0.2 membrane showed the highest water flux without losing the selectivity. • Considerably boosted hydrophilicity (contact angle 20.6° vs. 80.4°) was attained. • Doxycycline rejection was obtained up to 99.73% in 2 h. • 96.67% flux recovery ratio was achieved in the filtration of BSA solution. As a contaminant of emerging concern, doxycycline is an antibiotic that has recently drawn rising attention due to its satisfactory outcomes for the treatment of COVID-19. In this study, a novel metal–organic framework thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis (MOF-TFN FO) membrane was developed for doxycycline removal. The lack of applied hydraulic pressure in FO suggests an energy-efficient and low-cost process. A total of five composite membranes with different MIL-53 (Al) loadings (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5 wt%) were fabricated and characterized to assess the effect of MOF incorporation on the physicochemical properties of TFN membranes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis implied that incorporating MIL-53 (Al) in the polyamide selective layer affects the membrane morphology. Water contact angle measurements indicated significant augmentation in the hydrophilicity of modified membranes (20.6° for the optimally modified membrane vs. 80.4° for the unmodified membrane) owing to the increased hydroxyl group in the membrane selective layer. Due to the reduced structural parameter, the optimized membrane exhibited 94.31% enhanced water flux than the unmodified membrane without losing the selectivity. Also, the fouling experiments with organic foulant allude to the prominent antifouling property of this modified membrane with a 96.67% flux recovery ratio. More notably, the optimized membrane could maintain a high and stable rejection for doxycycline (>98.5%) for 10 h due to its size exclusion and adsorption properties. Our findings reveal the promising results of TFN FO membranes containing MOFs for antibiotics removal, which is not addressed sufficiently in the literature.

Zwitterion-functionalized MIL-125-NH2-based thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membranes: towards improved performance for salt rejection and heavy metal removal

Incorporating zwitterion-functionalized MIL-125-NH2nanoparticles in the rejection layer of TFN FO membranes improves their water/ion separation performance and antifouling ability.

High-Performance Thin-Film nanocomposite forward osmosis membranes modified with Poly(dopamine) coated UiO66-(COOH)2

• Surface functionalization of UiO-66 with polydopamine (UiO-PDA). • Thin film nanocomposite (TFN) forward osmosis (FO) membranes were fabricated by incorporating UiO-PDA. • UiO-PDA as a hydrophilic nanomaterial enhanced the separation performance of TFN-FO membranes. • The UiO-PDA modified TFN membrane exhibited better anti-fouling performance and Cu +2 ions rejection in comparison with bare TFC one. In this study, a new family of thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis (TFN-FO) membranes was synthesized by embedding polydopamine (PDA) coated UiO-66-(COOH) 2 (UiO-PDA) nanofiller in polyamide (PA) rejection layer via interfacial polymerization (IP). The PDA coating assisted the UiO dispersion in MPD/water media, resulting in better chemical miscibility between the UiO-PDA and PA matrix. The impact of the UiO-PDA incorporation on the physicochemical properties (surface chemical composition, hydrophilicity, morphology, and roughness) of the TFN membranes are systematically examined via different characterization techniques. Besides, the effect of UiO-PDA concentration on the overall performances (FO water flux, reverse salt flux, antifouling tendency) of the obtained UiO-PDA modified TFN-FO membranes were investigated in a cross-flow FO system. Compared with the pristine thin film composite (TFC) membrane, the modified TFN membranes presented higher selectivity, water flux, and anti-fouling tendency. Finally, the TFN-UC.2 (modified with 0.03 wt% UiO-PDA) membrane exhibited greater Cu 2+ ions removal in FO mode (feed solution in contact with PA active layer) than the control TFC membrane, arising from their improved PA rejection layer characteristics.

Antibacterial thin film nanocomposite forward osmosis membranes produced by in-situ reduction of selenium nanoparticles

In this study, we present a facile method for the in-situ reduction of selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) on a thin-film composite forward osmosis (FO) membrane. As an essential nutrient, Se is superior in terms of both low off-target toxicity and application potential. Given the superiority of Se, this study explored the application of Se NPs in the field of FO membrane separation and water treatment. In this study, Se NPs were evenly distributed on the polyamide layer of thin film nanocomposite (TFN) FO membranes and were found to significantly improve the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface and reduce the zeta potential value. Moreover, the water flux increased from 14.0 L m−2 h -1 (TFC FO) to 16.6 L m−2 h -1 (1 wt% Se TFN FO), while a slight increase in the reverse salt flux was observed. The diffusion inhibition zone tests revealed distinct antibacterial effects, and the bacteriostatic rate (BR) and live and dead cell staining tests showed a high BR (100 % of 1.5 wt% Se) of the Se NP-modified membranes on both gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). Thus, Se NPs as antibacterial agents offer a new option for membrane functionalization and water treatment.

Novel Thin Film Nanocomposite Forward Osmosis Membranes Prepared by Organic Phase Controlled Interfacial Polymerization with Functional Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

Novel high-quality thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes for enhanced forward osmosis (FO) were first synthesized through organic phase controlled interfacial polymerization by utilizing functional multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). As 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) grafted MWCNTs via an amidation reaction significantly promoted the dispersion in organic solution, MWCNTs-APTES with better compatibility effectively restricted the penetration of trimesoyl chloride (TMC), thus adjusting the morphology and characters of TFN membranes. Various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), sessile droplet analysis and FO experiments and reverse osmosis (RO) operation were taken to characterize and evaluate the performance of nanocomposites and membranes. The prepared TFN FO membranes exhibited good hydrophilicity and separation efficiency, in which water flux was about twice those of thin film composite (TFC) membranes without MWCNTs-APTES in both AL-DS and AL-FS modes. Compared with the original TFC membrane, the membrane structural parameter of the novel TFN FO membrane sharply was cut down to 60.7%. Based on the large number of low mass-transfer resistance channels provided by functional nanocomposites, the progresses may provide a facile approach to fabricate novel TFN FO membranes with advanced selectivity and permeability.

High-performance thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) forward osmosis (FO) membranes incorporated with porous hydrophobic-core/hydrophilic-shell nanoparticles

The current article discusses some unprecedented information about the improvement in forward osmosis (FO) performance of polyethersulfone/polyamide (PES/PA) membranes, mainly focused on water flux and selectivity along with resistance to fouling phenomenon; which itself is brought in by the introduction of pre-modified zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 MOF nanoparticles. An investigation has been conducted on ZIF-8 nanoparticles surface with hydrophilicity feature to evaluate their potential for utilization in active polyamide layer of FO membranes for the first time, free from any decrease in water flux value (when hydrophobic ZIF-8 is exploited solely) and selectivity (when mSiO2 with unselective channels is employed). Correspondingly, to fulfill the desired goal, MOF nanocrystals were coated with a thin mSiO2 shell at first, so they can be modified in the next step by GPTMS and ultimately aspartic acid. Feasibility of applied strategy (using hydrophobic-core/hydrophile-shell nanofillers) in FO membranes' desalination performance was assessed after incorporating ZIF-8@mSiO2-GPTMS-Asp nanoparticles of various concentrations in the polyamide rejection layer throughout the interfacial polymerization (IP) process. The obtained results divulge that the optimal membrane (TFN400) has the highest water flux and selectivity as well as superior resistance to BSA and SA foulant.

Development of CA-TiO2-incorporated thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membrane for enhanced water flux and salt rejection

Development of CA-TiO2-incorporated thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membrane for enhanced water flux and salt rejection

Novel Plasma Functionalized Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs) incorporated in forward osmosis substrate with improved performance and tensile strength

In this study, a novel thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis (FO) membrane incorporated with plasma functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) was developed. The well distributed GNPs in the polyethersulfone (PES) support increased the substrate porosity by 8%, and significantly improved the substrate tensile modulus even at a higher loading of GNPs. Unlike graphene oxide (GO), the linear increase in tensile strength with increasing the GNPs loading is due to the good dispersion properties of GNPs. The results indicated that in terms of water flux improvement, the optimal amount of GNPs incorporation is 0.3 wt%, while in terms of tensile strength, adding higher amounts of GNPs does not decrease the membrane stiffness even at 1 wt% of loading. The GNPs addition also significantly reduced the membrane structural parameter from 1323 µm with 0 wt% to 449 µm with 0.5 wt% loadings. Under the FO mode, water flux of 28.1 LMH was obtained for the membrane with the 0.5 wt% GNPs loading using 2 M NaCl as draw solution and DI water as feed. Overall, this study recommends that applying GNPs for the FO membrane development may be promising considering all types of FO applications where different membranes with different properties are required.

Effect of graphene oxide quantum dots on the interfacial polymerization of a thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membrane: An experimental and molecular dynamics study

We report an ultra-low loading of graphene oxide quantum dots (GQDs) into the polyamide (PA) layer of an outer-selective hollow fiber (OSHF) thin-film composite (TFC) membrane using the vacuum-assisted interfacial polymerization (VAIP) technique to improve the water permeability of OSHF TFC membranes without sacrificing membrane selectivity. Experimental results showed that GQD loading in the PA layer influenced membrane performance. The membrane with a GQD loading of 5 mg L−1 (TFN5) demonstrated an optimal water flux of 30.9 L m−2 h−1 and a specific reverse solute flux (SRSF) of 0.12 g L−1. To investigate the effect of GQDs on the interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction and membrane performance, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was employed at the water-hexane and water-PA interfaces. The simulation results showed that GQDs decreased the reaction rate during the IP process by reducing the diffusivities of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC). Additionally, GQDs reduced water permeability by acting as barriers to water molecules when present at a high concentration near the PA layer surface. At a very high loading, GQDs aggregated at the water-hexane interface and reduced the membrane selectivity by forming non-selective voids at the interface between the PA layer and GQDs. Together with the experimental findings, the MD simulation results delivered a good insight into the GQDs' effect on the TFC membrane's surface and transport properties at both macroscopic and microscopic levels.