Journal of Membrane Science最新文献

{"title":"New insights on the organic fouling mechanism of ultrafiltration membranes using hybrid QCM-D–LSPR","authors":"Diaa AbuKhadra,&nbsp;Yoram Oren,&nbsp;Moshe Herzberg","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124044","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organic fouling of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes is a major drawback and therefore, a rigorous analysis of the interactions of macromolecules with the outer membrane surface as well as with the confined porous membrane structure is required. This work provides new insights into the interplay between the interactions and conformation of alginate, a model organic foulant, as it penetrates the porous structure of an UF membrane. Alginate, like other organic foulants, can adopt conformations and orientations on the membrane surface that change in response to the aqueous conditions. In this work, adsorbed alginate layers were tested on a membrane-mimetic sensor surface using a hybrid system consisting of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensing and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). The alginate conformation and adhesion on the sensor were consistent with the effects of alginate penetrating to the UF membrane pores affecting permeability at various ionic strengths. To study the interactions and conformational changes of alginate on the surface, the membrane surface and the hybrid sensor were given a positive charge by modifying them with species bearing primary amine groups, 2-aminoethyl methacrylate and 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane, respectively. Intriguingly, on the pristine surfaces, increasing ionic strength induced a reversible increase in alginate areal density as measured by LSPR, indicating changes in alginate conformation, which increased the effective UF membrane pore diameter and increased membrane permeability. In contrast, the modified membranes with positive surfaces did not exhibit these changes in alginate conformation caused by ionic strength and membrane permeability showed no response to the aqueous ionic strength. This novel analysis of foulant conformation on a membrane-mimetic LSPR sensor, was further confirmed by the standard pore blocking model. QCM-D analysis revealed the expected responses to surface charge and ionic strength, i.e., the alginate layer's viscoelasticity increased on the positively charged surface and with increasing ionic strength. These analyses at the nanometer scale provide critical mechanistic insight into the way fouling reduces UF membrane performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 124044"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143725754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Co-assembly of perfluorinated sulfonic-acid ionomer and tetraphenylporphyrin tetrasulfonic-acid contributes to high-performance proton-exchange membranes","authors":"Wenshuo Wang ,&nbsp;Pengju Pan ,&nbsp;Yongzhong Bao","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124041","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124041","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To meet improved requirements for proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) applied in medium- and low-temperature fuel cells, novel PEMs with superior performance are prepared by using commercial perfluorinated sulfonic-acid ionomer (PFSA) and a dopant, tetraphenylporphyrin tetrasulfonic-acid (TPPS). Different from physically blending PFSA with another polymer or a nano-material, the membrane-forming mechanism of TPPS modified PFSA PEMs is highly dependent on the efficient interaction between PFSA and TPPS molecules. The unique three-part nested hydrophilic-hydrophobic-hydrophilic molecular structure of TPPS plays a crucial role in the co-assembly of PFSA with TPPS. The more intensive ionic cross-linking and hydrogen-bond networks are formed through hydrophilic groups in the outer and internal parts of TPPS and sulfonic-acid groups of PFSA. Meanwhile, secondary cross-linking of these hydrophilic groups is induced by rigid hydrophobic groups in the middle part of TPPS. Therefore, these molecular interactions induce the formation of more stable and stronger nano-phase separation with more uniform size. This novel nano-phase separation structure endows PEMs with elevated applicable temperatures, much increased proton conductivity and thus superior fuel cell performances, which are the keys to the development of more advanced hydrogen fuel cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 124041"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143734976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Guanidinium covalent organic framework modulated positively charged polyamide membranes toward superior Li+/Mg2+ selectivity","authors":"Shiyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Tianrun Gu ,&nbsp;Zhichao Li ,&nbsp;Jinqiu Yuan ,&nbsp;Chao Yang ,&nbsp;Zaichuang Liu ,&nbsp;Yu Zheng ,&nbsp;Xiangxuan Meng ,&nbsp;Xiaolin Yue ,&nbsp;Qingyuan Liu ,&nbsp;Hui Wang ,&nbsp;Runnan Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhongyi Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nanofiltration (NF) membrane separation technology offers significant potential for the effective Li⁺ extraction from salt-lake brines. Attaining high Li⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivity relies on increasing the positively charged density of the NF membrane surface. In this study, a guanidinium covalent organic framework (TbTG) nanosheet is designed to modulate positively charged polyamide (PA) thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes. The TbTG nanosheets are synthesized and deposited on polyethersulfone ( PES) support alongside polyethyleneimine (PEI) to polymerize with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and generate cross-linked PA-COF networks. The charge density of the membrane surface is increased to +1.48 mC m^-2, nearly twice that of the pristine PA membrane. The enhanced positive chargeability stems from the guanidine and amino groups of the TbTG framework, creating a stronger Donnan exclusion to repel Mg²⁺. Meanwhile, the hydrogen bond interaction between TbTG and PEI monomers brings about decreased pore size of the membranes. Therefore, the optimal PA-COF-3 membrane demonstrates an ultrahigh MgCl₂ rejection of 99.4%, as well as a superior separation factor (<span><math></math></span>) of 76.5 at a LiCl/MgCl₂ mass ratio of 1:40, which exceeds the performance of most reported NF membranes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 124046"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143734975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the adsorptive behaviour of kraft black liquor on nanofiltration model membrane surfaces via quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D)","authors":"Xiao Xiao ,&nbsp;Mariona Battestini-Vives ,&nbsp;Frank Lipnizki ,&nbsp;Gregor Rudolph-Schöpping","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Membrane filtration of kraft black liquor (KBL), a side-stream of the pulp and paper industry, is challenged by membrane fouling caused by its multicomponent complexity. The specific contributions of the components found in KBL to the fouling and the characteristics of the fouling layer that they create has not been investigated. Herein, the adsorptive and desorptive behaviours of KBL ultrafiltration (UF) permeate, along solutions of lignin and of hemicelluloses, were studied in real time using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) at 30 °C and 50 °C. Quartz sensors were coated with a polymer to model a nanofiltration (NF) membrane surface. The results revealed that hemicelluloses adsorbed rapidly, forming a relatively soft layer on the model membrane surface, while lignin adsorbed slowly and formed the most stable fouling layer of the three solutions at 30 °C. The KBL UF permeate layers had softest structure with most of the foulants being rinsed away at 30 °C. At 50 °C, the KBL UF permeate layer before sodium hydroxide (NaOH) rinsing was driven by multicomponent assembly—unlike single-component systems, the adsorbed mass exceeded the sum of individual hemicelluloses and lignin contributions, underscoring temperature-enhanced diffusion and co-deposition. After NaOH rinsing at 50 °C, all the fouling layers were softer, rougher, and more hydrophilic compared to those at 30 °C. Especially, a hybrid fouling layer with the highest surface roughness and the strongest hydrophilicity was created by KBL UF permeate, incorporating scaling-resistant deposits formed by residual sodium salts and crosslinked organics. These findings may provide essential knowledge for improving membrane cleaning efficiency of irreversible fouling caused by KBL UF permeate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 124043"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143715940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One-step preparation of PVDF‒polydopamine blend ultrafiltration membranes via nonsolvent-induced phase separation and their characterization and antifouling mechanism analysis","authors":"Rui Miao ,&nbsp;Yue Mi ,&nbsp;Xin Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuang Ge ,&nbsp;Jiani Qu ,&nbsp;Yifan Yang ,&nbsp;Haoxue Ran ,&nbsp;Danxi Huang ,&nbsp;Lei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address the existing shortcomings in the polydopamine (PDA) modification of ultrafiltration membranes, in this study, dopamine monomers were directly added to a casting solution, and a low-concentration NaClO solution was used as the coagulation bath to prepare a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/PDA blend membrane by nonsolvent-induced phase separation. The results revealed that an extremely thin PDA coating formed on the surface and cross-section of the membrane during the phase separation process, which featured a short reaction time, high dopamine utilization efficiency and simple operation. Compared to the PVDF membrane, the hydrophilicity and permeate flux of the PVDF/PDA membrane simultaneously improved, overcoming the trade-off faced by traditional PDA modification methods. The PVDF/PDA blend membrane also exhibited superior mechanical strength and a more negative charge. Moreover, PDA modification weakened the hydrophobic force and strengthened the electrostatic repulsion force between the foulants and the membrane, thereby causing the comprehensive force between the foulants and the membrane to decrease significantly. In turn, the weaker interaction between the foulants and the membrane not only decreased the deposition rate of the foulants onto the PVDF/PDA membrane but also enabled easier peeling off of the accumulated foulants on the membrane during the cleaning process. As a result, the PVDF/PDA blend membrane exhibited excellent anti-fouling ability for organic matter.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 124029"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143734974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrostatically enhanced surface segregation boosts anti-fouling performance of mixed matrix membranes","authors":"Qingquan Lin ,&nbsp;Xi Chen ,&nbsp;Xia Zheng ,&nbsp;Zhaomei Yang ,&nbsp;Yuan Xiang ,&nbsp;Chuyang Y. Tang ,&nbsp;Shouliang Yi ,&nbsp;Guangyong Zeng ,&nbsp;Jianquan Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Introducing nanomaterials into polymeric membranes can significantly improve their separation performances, and surface enrichment of hydrophilic nanomaterials is beneficial for enhanced anti-fouling ability of membranes. However, existing strategies are difficult to achieve directional movement of nanomaterials in membrane matrix. Herein, for the first time, we report the directional migration of nanomaterials to membrane surface by electrostatically enhanced surface segregation, thus realizing a single-step formation of superior anti-fouling membrane. Two-dimensional MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) nanosheets modified by cationic polyethyleneimine are added into the casting solution, while anionic polyacrylic acid is dissolved in the coagulation bath. During phase inversion, the synergistic interplay of electrostatic forces and hydrophilic interactions drove the directional migration of MXene, thereby constructing an anti-fouling layer on the membrane surface. The rationally designed MP-P membrane yields incredibly high anti-fouling performance against different pollutants with a flux recovery rate of more than 96 % after four cyclic experiments, which is about 68 % higher than the original membrane. Molecular dynamics simulations further revealed the driving forces behind the surface segregation behavior, the interactions among the components in anti-fouling layer and its anti-fouling mechanism. This method is widely applicable for directional migration of nanomaterials and provides a new pathway for the synthesis of next generation anti-fouling mixed matrix membranes for energy efficient molecular separation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 124036"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143725756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hybrid model as an efficient predictor of mass transfer behavior in hollow fiber membrane contactors with complex geometries","authors":"Yihan Yin,&nbsp;Hongxia Gao,&nbsp;Zhiwu Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hollow fiber membrane contactors coupling amine absorption method have emerged as an ideal choice for carbon capture due to their high specific surface area, low cost, and ease of scalability. In this study, COMSOL Multiphysics 6.0 software was used to develop three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) models to investigate the CO₂ mass transfer performance of N-Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) + Piperazine (PZ) and 3-Dimethylamino-1-propanol (3DMA1P) + 2-(Methylamino)ethanol (MAE) blended solutions under various operating conditions, and the simulation results were evaluated with the experimental data. The results indicate that the outcomes obtained from the 2D model are generally higher than the experimental data, whereas the results from the 3D model show good agreement with the experimental data. Considering the stringent convergence conditions, low computational efficiency, and the inability of 3D models to dynamically describe the changes in mass transfer performance under membrane wetting conditions, a 2D-3D hybrid model was developed, making it possible to efficiently compute mass transfer performance during the dynamic membrane wetting process. The hybrid model was developed by quantifying the uneven fluid distribution from the 3D model into correction factors for both the gas and liquid phases, and incorporating these factors into the original 2D model. By comparing the simulation results of the hybrid model with experimental data, it is found that the non-wetting hybrid model for the MDEA + PZ blended solution exhibits strong agreement with experiments, achieving an absolute average relative deviation (AARD) within 4.95 %. Meanwhile, for the 3DMA1P + MAE mixed solution, the 5 % wetted hybrid model accurately predicts mass transfer performance with an AARD of less than 5.55 %. Moreover, the results obtained from the hybrid model are consistent with those from the 3D model, while significantly reducing the calculation time from over 3 h to less than 1 h. This demonstrates that the hybrid model can efficiently and accurately predict CO₂ absorption flux (J_CO2) and membrane wetting under various operating conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 124022"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143706204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pyrene containing, highly conductive and robust poly (aryl piperidinium) anion exchange membranes for fuel cell applications","authors":"Omer Javed ,&nbsp;Shoutao Gong ,&nbsp;Xinli Zhang ,&nbsp;Long Han ,&nbsp;Haiyang Zhang ,&nbsp;Boning Zhang ,&nbsp;Quan Jin ,&nbsp;Min Yang ,&nbsp;Xiaoming Yan ,&nbsp;Gaohong He ,&nbsp;Fengxiang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) stand out as an advanced energy technology, featuring non-precious metals usable as catalysts to yield superior oxygen reduction kinetics compared with proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The quest for high-performance and durable anion exchange membranes (AEMs) is a primary focus in the development of AEMFCs. In this study, we have fabricated innovative series of AEMs by synthesizing a copolymer from disk shaped pyrene, 1-methyl-4-piperidone, and <em>p</em>-terphenyl, followed by the quaternization process of the produced polymer. AEMs incorporating pristine pyrene can enhance the microphase separation and free volume. This structural modification produces both free volume and localized stacking effect, which facilitates the creation of ion channels with reduced OH^- transport resistance. Notably, the synthesized qPPTP-10 AEM demonstrates significantly enhanced ion conductivity of 166.5 mS cm⁻¹ at 80 °C and 181.13 mS cm⁻¹ at 90 °C. Furthermore, the membrane exhibits impressive alkaline stability, with ion conductivity retention of 96.5 % and 86.2 % after 1500 h of treatment in 1 M and 2M NaOH, respectively at 80 °C. Moreover, qPPTP-10 based H₂-O₂ single cell achieves a peak power density of 1374 mW cm^-2 at 80 °C and durability greater than 60 h.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 124028"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143684924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the link between antiscalant and fouling variation from reverse osmosis pilot study","authors":"Musabbir J. Talukder ,&nbsp;Ali S. Alshami ,&nbsp;Chris Buelke ,&nbsp;Nadhem Ismail ,&nbsp;Achouak Benarbia ,&nbsp;Arash Tayyebi ,&nbsp;Glavic Tikeri ,&nbsp;Al-Goraee Ashraf","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Access to pure water has shaped human civilization for centuries. Growing water scarcity has accelerated the development of sustainable purification technologies like Reverse Osmosis (RO). Despite significant advancements, membrane fouling remains a major bottleneck in RO systems. Scaling, among the different fouling types, became the main challenge in groundwater desalination, leading to the widespread use of antiscalants in RO operations. However, these antiscalants come with challenges, including incompatibility, concentrate disposal, and the risk of synergistic fouling. In response to environmental concerns, polymeric and biodegradable “Green” antiscalants have been studied for RO systems. However, a lack of pilot evaluations and a limited understanding of the antiscalant structure to foulant relationship have significantly hindered RO operational efficiency. This study evaluates three antiscalants in relation to pilot performance, RO membrane fouling, and cleaning strategy. Two commercial antiscalant blends (phosphonate salt and polymeric) and a novel \"Green” antiscalant,\" polyglycerol maleate, were evaluated over an eight-month pilot study, capturing seasonal performance variations. The study revealed distinct, manganese-to aluminum-dominated fouling, depending on the antiscalant interactions. Additionally, a biofouling quantification method and concentrate line analysis are introduced. The cleaning study showed that while some foulants resist simple cleaning techniques, cleaning at a lower foulant uptake can reduce long-term membrane deterioration highlighting the need for optimized cleaning with foulant types. Overall, from feed water analysis to cleaning, this study provides a complete operational picture of fouling and a framework for future antiscalant-RO system studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 124026"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143706293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Roles of Fe3O4 and PANI coated membranes for fouling mitigation in membrane bioreactor: Long-term treatment performance and fouling mechanisms","authors":"Duyen Phuc-Hanh Tran ,&nbsp;Annisa Dwi Safiyanti ,&nbsp;Ya-Fen Wang ,&nbsp;Tomohiro Tobino ,&nbsp;Fumiyuki Nakajima ,&nbsp;Sheng-Jie You","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the role of nanoparticles-coated membranes in membrane bioreactors (MBR) for wastewater treatment, focusing on treatment efficiency and fouling behaviors. In this study, PANI, Fe₃O₄ and Fe₃O₄@PANI were coated onto flat-sheet PVDF membranes via a simple dip-coating method. The modified membranes demonstrated COD removal rates of 93.8–95.9 % (PANI/PVDF), 93.1–95.1 % (Fe₃O₄/PVDF), and 88.9–95.2 % (Fe₃O₄@PANI/PVDF) were comparable to the pristine PVDF membrane (91.2–95.1 %), with similar ammonia and phosphorus removals over 250 days of operation. Fouling behavior analysis revealed that while the pristine PVDF membrane's fouling rate increased by 1.43 times as operated flux increased (1.60 kPa d⁻¹ at 15 LMH to 2.29 kPa d⁻¹ at 20 LMH), whereas the modified membranes exhibited only slight increases, less than 1.3 times. Surface roughness measurements showed that PANI/PVDF (R_a = 381.7 nm), Fe₃O₄/PVDF (R_a = 335 nm), and Fe₃O₄@PANI/PVDF (R_a = 377.1 nm) had reduced fouling susceptibility compared to pristine PVDF (R_a = 473.5 nm), indicating reduced extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and soluble microbial product (SMP) deposition. These findings highlight the potential of nanoparticle-modified membranes to support elevated fluxes with minimal impact on treatment performance and fouling resistance, offering promising implications for prolonged and stable MBR operation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 124027"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143697163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}