Recent developments of nano-enhanced composite membranes designed for water/wastewater purification—a review

Abstract

AbstractIn this review, the latest advances on nano-enhanced composite membranes (NECMs, which contain nanostructured filler-like materials and nanoscale barrier polymeric substrates), comprising basic conceptions, working mechanisms, selection of active materials, structural designs, desirable effects, existing challenges, and potential applications for water/wastewater purification, were summarized and discussed in detail. This review paper will propose a comprehensive overview of NECMs designed for water/wastewater purification to understand the recent developments among active materials, strategies, or challenges regarding technical and innovative approaches. Several researchers have successfully proven the main capacities regarding adsorption and separation to remove various pollutants from water or wastewater. Herein, the NECMs designed by combining nanostructured filler-like materials and nanoscale barrier polymeric substrates have high performances of adsorption and separation; thus, these NECMs have attracted considerable attention in recent years. Given their nanostructured filler-like materials, NECMs can address fouling-related limitations by tailoring their surface features, particularly the structural design and desirable effect of NECMs; concomitantly, their performance might be enhanced through the use of a specific composition and structure of nanomaterials. Hence, a comprehensive guide of the advanced NECMs for water/wastewater purification, which are constructed on nanostructured filler-like materials, will be provided in detail. Therefore, this paper can provide a comprehensive understanding of NECMs that are designed for water/wastewater purification correspondingly and effectively. Graphical Abstract