Leveraging the potential of antibacterial biomolecules in antibiofouling membrane design: A review

Biofouling, a prevalent issue in membrane technology, compromises the effectiveness and efficiency of membrane-based separation processes. The bottleneck prompts significant research into improving the antibacterial and antibiofouling characteristics of membrane. This review seeks to offer a thorough analysis and discussion on the utilization of biomolecules such as polysaccharides, fatty acids and enzymes for developing antibacterial and antibiofouling membranes. This review discusses the properties, advantages, and limitations of employing antibacterial biomolecules, along with their development and performance in membrane applications. A comprehensive elaboration is crucial to grasp the potential of these antibacterial biomolecules in enhancing membrane performance. This review is expected to offer insights into how these antibacterial biomolecules can optimize membrane performance by reducing biofouling, enhancing operational efficiency, ensuring water quality, and lowering costs. This review concludes that antibacterial polysaccharides and enzymes can serve as promising candidate to enhance the antibacterial properties of membranes. The review also addresses challenges and outlines future research directions concerning antibacterial biomolecules. The future directions outlined in the review focus on striking a balance between achieving strong antibacterial action and preserving essential membrane surface properties, thereby encouraging the creation of eco-friendly environment.