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Nanomaterials
Special Issues
Recent Development of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment
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Recent Development of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Nanoscience and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 March 2023) | Viewed by 8795

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail

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Guest Editor
Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre, School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Interests: polymeric; inorganic and mixed matrix membranes for water desalination; waste water treatment; gas separation processes; membrane for fuel cell applications; palm oil refining; haemodialysis membrane and smart optical fiber
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pei Sean Goh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre, School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru 81310, Malaysia
Interests: nanomaterial and nanocomposite synthesis; surface modification; polymeric nanocomposite; membranes; desalination and wastewater treatment; energy production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Norhaniza Yusof

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre, School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Interests: nanomaterials; nanocomposite membranes; membrane technology; wastewater treatment; gas separation; gas adsorption; adsorbent materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Membrane-based separation has earned its place in a wide range of commercial applications. Over the last few decades, exponential growth has been witnessed in the application of membrane technology for wastewater treatment and desalination. Intensive efforts have been dedicated to developing high-performance membranes with multifunctional properties to address issues such as permeability-selectivity trade-off and fouling. Nowadays, nanomaterials are the subject of intense research and are known to be highly versatile materials, in which their physical and chemical properties can be flexibly tailored. The interdisciplinary research of material chemistry and engineering applications hold the key to heightening material performance, including the development of a new class of membrane known as nanocomposite membranes.

This Special Issue aims at collecting a compilation of articles, which cover research articles, reviews and communications, with topics areas focused on the development of nanocomposite membranes for water and wastewater treatment. We are pleased to invite you to submit your original manuscript to this Special Issue. The deadline for manuscript submission is 30 June 2022. However, an earlier manuscript submission is recommended.

In this Special Issue, original research articles, reviews and communications are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

  • Development of nanocomposite membrane
  • Synthesis of nanomaterials for nanocomposite membrane
  • Nanocomposite membrane modification and functionalization
  • Green synthesis of nanocomposite membrane
  • Computational studies of nanocomposite membrane
  • Life-cycle analysis of nanocomposite membrane
  • Anti-fouling nanocomposite membrane
  • Wastewater treatment and desalination
  • Liquid separation

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail
Dr. Pei Sean Goh
Dr. Norhaniza Yusof
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanocomposite membrane
  • nanocomposite membrane modification and functionalization
  • pollution remediation
  • wastewater treatment and desalination
  • liquid separation

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

2 pages, 161 KiB  
Editorial
Recent Development of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment
by Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Pei Sean Goh and Norhaniza Yusof
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(10), 1686; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano13101686 - 20 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 685
Abstract
The field of membrane technology has experienced significant growth in recent years, especially in the areas of wastewater treatment and desalination [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Development of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

34 pages, 14225 KiB  
Article
Graphene Quantum Dot-Added Thin-Film Composite Membrane with Advanced Nanofibrous Support for Forward Osmosis
by Haleema Saleem, Pei Sean Goh, Asif Saud, Mohammad Aquib Wakeel Khan, Nazmin Munira, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail and Syed Javaid Zaidi
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(23), 4154; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12234154 - 24 Nov 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2381
Abstract
Forward osmosis (FO) technology for desalination has been extensively studied due to its immense benefits over conventionally used reverse osmosis. However, there are some challenges in this process such as a high reverse solute flux (RSF), low water flux, and poor chlorine resistance [...] Read more.
Forward osmosis (FO) technology for desalination has been extensively studied due to its immense benefits over conventionally used reverse osmosis. However, there are some challenges in this process such as a high reverse solute flux (RSF), low water flux, and poor chlorine resistance that must be properly addressed. These challenges in the FO process can be resolved through proper membrane design. This study describes the fabrication of thin-film composite (TFC) membranes with polyethersulfone solution blown-spun (SBS) nanofiber support and an incorporated selective layer of graphene quantum dots (GQDs). This is the first study to sustainably develop GQDs from banyan tree leaves for water treatment and to examine the chlorine resistance of a TFC FO membrane with SBS nanofiber support. Successful GQD formation was confirmed with different characterizations. The performance of the GQD-TFC-FO membrane was studied in terms of flux, long-term stability, and chlorine resistance. It was observed that the membrane with 0.05 wt.% of B-GQDs exhibited increased surface smoothness, hydrophilicity, water flux, salt rejection, and chlorine resistance, along with a low RSF and reduced solute flux compared with that of neat TFC membranes. The improvement can be attributed to the presence of GQDs in the polyamide layer and the utilization of SBS nanofibrous support in the TFC membrane. A simulation study was also carried out to validate the experimental data. The developed membrane has great potential in desalination and water treatment applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Development of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment)
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23 pages, 5311 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Optimization of Superhydrophilic-Superoleophobic Chitosan–Silica/HNT Nanocomposite Coating for Oil–Water Separation Using Response Surface Methodology
by Syarifah Nazirah Wan Ikhsan, Norhaniza Yusof, Farhana Aziz, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Norazanita Shamsuddin, Juhana Jaafar, Wan Norharyati Wan Salleh, Pei Sean Goh, Woei Jye Lau and Nurasyikin Misdan
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(20), 3673; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12203673 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1649
Abstract
In this current study, facile, one-pot synthesis of functionalised nanocomposite coating with simultaneous hydrophilic and oleophobic properties was successfully achieved via the sol–gel technique. The synthesis of this nanocomposite coating aims to develop a highly efficient, simultaneously oleophobic-hydrophilic coating intended for polymer membranes [...] Read more.
In this current study, facile, one-pot synthesis of functionalised nanocomposite coating with simultaneous hydrophilic and oleophobic properties was successfully achieved via the sol–gel technique. The synthesis of this nanocomposite coating aims to develop a highly efficient, simultaneously oleophobic-hydrophilic coating intended for polymer membranes to spontaneously separate oil-in-water emulsions, therefore, mitigating the fouling issue posed by an unmodified polymer membrane. The simultaneous hydrophilicity-oleophobicity of the nanocoating can be applied onto an existing membrane to improve their capability to spontaneously separate oil-in-water substances in the treatment of oily wastewater using little to no energy and being environmentally friendly. The synthesis of hybrid chitosan–silica (CTS-Si)/halloysite nanotube (HNT) nanocomposite coating using the sol–gel method was presented, and the resultant coating was characterised using FTIR, XPS, XRD, NMR, BET, Zeta Potential, and TGA. The wettability of the nanocomposite coating was evaluated in terms of water and oil contact angle, in which it was coated onto a polymer substrate. The coating was optimised in terms of oil and water contact angle using Response Surface Modification (RSM) with Central Composite Design (CCD) theory. The XPS results revealed the successful grafting of organosilanes groups of HNT onto the CTS-Si denoted by a wide band between 102.6–103.7 eV at Si2p. FTIR spectrum presented significant peaks at 3621 cm−1; 1013 cm−1 was attributed to chitosan, and 787 cm−1 signified the stretching of Si-O-Si on HNT. 29Si, 27Al, and 13H NMR spectroscopy confirmed the extensive modification of the particle’s shells with chitosan–silica hybrid covalently linked to the halloysite nanotube domains. The morphological analysis via FESEM resulted in the surface morphology that indicates improved wettability of the nanocomposite. The resultant colloids have a high colloid stability of 19.3 mV and electrophoretic mobility of 0.1904 µmcm/Vs. The coating recorded high hydrophilicity with amplified oleophobic properties depicted by a low water contact angle (WCA) of 11° and high oil contact angle (OCA) of 171.3°. The optimisation results via RSM suggested that the optimised sol pH and nanoparticle loadings were pH 7.0 and 1.05 wt%, respectively, yielding 95% desirability for high oil contact angle and low water contact angle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Development of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment)
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29 pages, 8360 KiB  
Article
Improved Forward Osmosis Performance of Thin Film Composite Membranes with Graphene Quantum Dots Derived from Eucalyptus Tree Leaves
by Haleema Saleem, Asif Saud, Nazmin Munira, Pei Sean Goh, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Hammadur Rahman Siddiqui and Syed Javaid Zaidi
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(19), 3519; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12193519 - 08 Oct 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2492
Abstract
The major challenges in forward osmosis (FO) are low water flux, high specific reverse solute flux (SRSF), and membrane fouling. The present work addresses these problems by the incorporation of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) in the polyamide (PA) layer of thin-film composite (TFC) [...] Read more.
The major challenges in forward osmosis (FO) are low water flux, high specific reverse solute flux (SRSF), and membrane fouling. The present work addresses these problems by the incorporation of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) in the polyamide (PA) layer of thin-film composite (TFC) membranes, as well as by using an innovative polyethersulfone nanofiber support for the TFC membrane. The GQDs were prepared from eucalyptus leaves using a facile hydrothermal method that requires only deionized water, without the need for any organic solvents or reducing agents. The nanofiber support of the TFC membranes was prepared using solution blow spinning (SBS). The polyamide layer with GQDs was deposited on top of the nanofiber support through interfacial polymerization. This is the first study that reports the fouling resistance of the SBS-nanofiber-supported TFC membranes. The effect of various GQD loadings on the TFC FO membrane performance, its long-term FO testing, cleaning efficiency, and organic fouling resistance were analyzed. It was noted that the FO separation performance of the TFC membranes was improved with the incorporation of 0.05 wt.% GQDs. This study confirmed that the newly developed thin-film nanocomposite membranes demonstrated increased water flux and salt rejection, reduced SRSF, and good antifouling performance in the FO process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Development of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment)
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16 pages, 4943 KiB  
Article
Non-Biological Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment with Membrane Processes—An Opportunity for Water Recycling
by Maximilian Philipp, Jascha Reich and Sven-Uwe Geißen
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(13), 2314; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12132314 - 05 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1652
Abstract
The pressure-driven membrane separation processes ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) enable the effective purification of wastewater, in particular in combination, allowing organic and inorganic contaminants to be separated from the wastewater. Consequently, this work investigates the suitability of this technology for slaughterhouse [...] Read more.
The pressure-driven membrane separation processes ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) enable the effective purification of wastewater, in particular in combination, allowing organic and inorganic contaminants to be separated from the wastewater. Consequently, this work investigates the suitability of this technology for slaughterhouse wastewater (SWW) recycling. This was investigated by means of laboratory and bench-scale plant membrane experiments, whereby slaughterhouse wastewater (SWW) pre-treated by flotation was first treated with UF and then further purified with RO. Through the process combination UF + RO in the bench scale experiment, a reduction of the parameters total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD) of more than 98% and 97% for the parameter total nitrogen (TN) could be achieved. This means that wastewater reuse without product contact can be guaranteed. For direct process water reuse, only the concentration limit for ammonium could not be reached. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses of the RO membrane were carried out before and after the experiment, which did not indicate any scaling effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Development of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment)
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Review

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19 pages, 1784 KiB  
Review
An Overview of Recent Progress in Nanofiber Membranes for Oily Wastewater Treatment
by Rosalam Sarbatly and Chel-Ken Chiam
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(17), 2919; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12172919 - 24 Aug 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2030
Abstract
Oil separation from water becomes a challenging issue in industries, especially when large volumes of stable oil/water emulsion are discharged. The present short review offers an overview of the recent developments in the nanofiber membranes used in oily wastewater treatment. This review notes [...] Read more.
Oil separation from water becomes a challenging issue in industries, especially when large volumes of stable oil/water emulsion are discharged. The present short review offers an overview of the recent developments in the nanofiber membranes used in oily wastewater treatment. This review notes that nanofiber membranes can efficiently separate the free-floating oil, dispersed oil and emulsified oil droplets. The highly interconnected pore structure nanofiber membrane and its modified wettability can enhance the permeation flux and reduce the fouling. The nanofiber membrane is an efficient separator for liquid–liquid with different densities, which can act as a rejector of either oil or water and a coalescer of oil droplets. The present paper focuses on nanofiber membranes’ production techniques, nanofiber membranes’ modification for flux and separation efficiency improvement, and the future direction of research, especially for practical developments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Development of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment)
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