Advanced Polymeric Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

Nanomaterials have been extensively used in polymer nanocomposite membranes due to the inclusion of unique features that enhance water and wastewater treatment performance. Compared to the pristine membranes, the incorporation of nanomodifiers not only improves membrane performance (water permeability, salt rejection, contaminant removal, selectivity), but also the intrinsic properties (hydrophilicity, porosity, antifouling properties, antimicrobial properties, mechanical, thermal, and chemical stability) of these membranes. This review focuses on applications of different types of nanomaterials: zero-dimensional (metal/metal oxide nanoparticles), one-dimensional (carbon nanotubes), two-dimensional (graphene and associated structures), and three-dimensional (zeolites and associated frameworks) nanomaterials combined with polymers towards novel polymeric nanocomposites for water and wastewater treatment applications. This review will show that combinations of nanomaterials and polymers impart enhanced features into the pristine membrane; however, the underlying issues associated with the modification processes and environmental impact of these membranes are less obvious. This review also highlights the utility of computational methods toward understanding the structural and functional properties of the membranes. Here, we highlight the fabrication methods, advantages, challenges, environmental impact, and future scope of these advanced polymeric nanocomposite membrane based systems for water and wastewater treatment applications.

Block Copolymer-Based Magnetic Mixed Matrix Membranes-Effect of Magnetic Field on Protein Permeation and Membrane Fouling

In this study, we report the impact of the magnetic field on protein permeability through magnetic-responsive, block copolymer, nanocomposite membranes with hydrophilic and hydrophobic characters. The hydrophilic nanocomposite membranes were composed of spherical polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized through polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) with iron oxide NPs coated with quaternized poly(2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate. The hydrophobic nanocomposite membranes were prepared via nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) containing poly (methacrylic acid) and meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid-coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPNPs). The permeation experiments were carried out using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the model solute, in the absence of the magnetic field and under permanent and cyclic magnetic field conditions OFF/ON (strategy 1) and ON/OFF (strategy 2). It was observed that the magnetic field led to a lower reduction in the permeate fluxes of magnetic-responsive membranes during BSA permeation, regardless of the magnetic field strategy used, than that obtained in the absence of the magnetic field. Nevertheless, a comparative analysis of the effect caused by the two cyclic magnetic field strategies showed that strategy 2 allowed for a lower reduction of the original permeate fluxes during BSA permeation and higher protein sieving coefficients. Overall, these novel magneto-responsive block copolymer nanocomposite membranes proved to be competent in mitigating biofouling phenomena in bioseparation processes.

Spray-Deposited Anisotropic Ferromagnetic Hybrid Polymer Films of PS-b-PMMA and Strontium Hexaferrite Magnetic Nanoplatelets

Spray deposition is a scalable and cost-effective technique for the fabrication of magnetic hybrid films containing diblock copolymers (DBCs) and magnetic nanoparticles. However, it is challenging to obtain spray-deposited anisotropic magnetic hybrid films without using external magnetic fields. In the present work, spray deposition is applied to prepare perpendicular anisotropic magnetic hybrid films by controlling the orientation of strontium hexaferrite nanoplatelets inside ultra-high-molecular-weight DBC polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) films. During spray deposition, the evolution of DBC morphology and the orientation of magnetic nanoplatelets are monitored with in situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). For reference, a pure DBC film without nanoplatelets is deposited with the same conditions. Solvent-controlled magnetic properties of the hybrid film are proven with solvent vapor annealing (SVA) applied to the final deposited magnetic films. Obvious changes in the DBC morphology and nanoplatelet localization are observed during SVA. The superconducting quantum interference device data show that ferromagnetic hybrid polymer films with high coercivity can be achieved via spray deposition. The hybrid films show a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy before SVA, which is strongly weakened after SVA. The spray-deposited hybrid films appear highly promising for potential applications in magnetic data storage and sensors.

Self-Assembly of Large Magnetic Nanoparticles in Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Linear Diblock Copolymer Films

The development of diblock copolymer (DBC) nanocomposite films containing magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters (D) over 20 nm is a challenging task. To host large iron oxide NPs (Fe₃O₄, D = 27 ± 0.6 nm), an ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) linear DBC polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) is used as a template in the present work. Due to hydrogen bonding between the carboxylic acid ligands of the NPs and the ester groups in PMMA, the NPs show an affinity to the PMMA block. The localization of the NPs inside the DBC is investigated as a function of the NP concentration. At low NP concentrations, NPs are located preferentially at the interface between PS and PMMA domains to minimize the interfacial tension caused by the strong segregation strength of the UHMW DBC. At high NP concentrations (≥10 wt %), chain-like NP aggregates (a head-to-tail orientation) are observed in the PMMA domains, resulting in a change of the morphology from sphere to ellipsoid for part of the PMMA domains. Magnetic properties of the hybrid films are probed via superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry. All hybrid films show ferrimagnetism and are promising for potential applications in magnetic data storage.

Large-Scale Encapsulation of Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles via Syngas Photo-Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition

Photo-initiated chemical vapor deposition (PICVD) has been adapted for use in a jet-assisted fluidized bed configuration, allowing for the encapsulation of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on a larger scale than ever reported (5 g). This new methodology leads to a functional coating with a thickness of 1.4–10 nm, confirmed by HRTEM and TGA. XPS and TOF-SIMS characterization confirm that the coating is composed of both aliphatic and polymerized carbon chains, with incorporated organometallic bonds and oxygen-containing moieties. UV-Vis absorbance spectra show that the coating improved dispersion in non-polar solvents, such as n-dodecane. This process represents a first step towards the large-scale, solvent-free post-synthesis processing of nanoparticles to impart a functional coating.

Nano-porous structuresviaself-assembly of amphiphilic triblock copolymers: influence of solvent and molecular weight

Self-assembly of ABA triblock copolymer micelles into porous materials which are subsequently used as filtration membranes.