Enhancing Water Purification by Integrating Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes into Polyethersulfone Membranes for Improved Hydrophilicity and Anti-Fouling Performance
Ayesha Bilal,
Muhammad Yasin,
Faheem Hassan Akhtar,
Mazhar Amjad Gilani,
Hamad Alhmohamadi,
Mohammad Younas,
Azeem Mushtaq,
Muhammad Aslam,
Mehdi Hassan,
Rab Nawaz,
Aqsha Aqsha,
Jaka Sunarso,
Muhammad Roil Bilad,
Asim Laeeq Khan
Affiliations
Ayesha Bilal
Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Muhammad Yasin
Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Faheem Hassan Akhtar
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore 54792, Pakistan
Mazhar Amjad Gilani
Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Hamad Alhmohamadi
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia
Mohammad Younas
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Chemical and Industrial Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan
Azeem Mushtaq
Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Muhammad Aslam
Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Mehdi Hassan
Department of Chemistry, University of Baltistan, Skardu 16100, Pakistan
Rab Nawaz
Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics (CAMB), Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally 32093, Kuwait
Aqsha Aqsha
Department of Bioenergy Engineering and Chemurgy, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institute Teknologi Bandung, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
Jaka Sunarso
Research Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Jalan Simpang Tiga, Kuching 93350, Sarawak, Malaysia
Muhammad Roil Bilad
Faculty of Integrated Technologies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong BE 1410, Brunei
Asim Laeeq Khan
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia
Water pollution remains a critical concern, one necessitated by rapidly increasing industrialization and urbanization. Among the various strategies for water purification, membrane technology stands out, with polyethersulfone (PES) often being the material of choice due to its robust mechanical properties, thermal stability, and chemical resistance. However, PES-based membranes tend to exhibit low hydrophilicity, leading to reduced flux and poor anti-fouling performance. This study addresses these limitations by incorporating titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO2NTs) into PES nanofiltration membranes to enhance their hydrophilic properties. The TiO2NTs, characterized through FTIR, XRD, BET, and SEM, were embedded in PES at varying concentrations using a non-solvent induced phase inversion (NIPS) method. The fabricated mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were subjected to testing for water permeability and solute rejection capabilities. Remarkably, membranes with a 1 wt% TiO2NT loading displayed a significant increase in pure water flux, from 36 to 72 L m2 h−1 bar−1, a 300-fold increase in selectivity compared to the pristine sample, and a dye rejection of 99%. Furthermore, long-term stability tests showed only a slight reduction in permeate flux over a time of 36 h, while dye removal efficiency was maintained, thus confirming the membrane’s stability. Anti-fouling tests revealed a 93% flux recovery ratio, indicating excellent resistance to fouling. These results suggest that the inclusion of TiO2 NTs offers a promising avenue for the development of efficient and stable anti-fouling PES-based membranes for water purification.
