Electropositive Membrane Prepared via a Simple Dipping Process: Exploiting Electrostatic Attraction Using Electrospun...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Conventional membranes rely on physical sieving, limiting flux and efficiency.
• Novel electropositive membranes offer electrostatic attraction for contaminant removal.
• Developing cost-effective fabrication methods for these membranes is crucial for water purification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple and cost-effective method for fabricating electropositive membranes.
• To enhance water filtration efficiency using electrostatic attraction.
• To evaluate the performance of the novel membrane compared to commercial filters.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of boehmite/SiO2/PVDF electropositive membranes via a dipping process.
• Modification of electrospun SiO2/PVDF host membranes with boehmite nanoparticles (NPs).
• Testing filtration performance using electronegatively charged polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles as a model.

Main Results:

• The boehmite/SiO2/PVDF membrane exhibited high filtration efficiency, removing 0.20 μm PS particles.
• Filtration performance was comparable to commercial Millipore GSWP (0.22 μm pore size).
• Water flux was double that of the commercial filter, indicating superior performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed electropositive membrane offers a promising solution for efficient water purification and disinfection.
• The simple fabrication method using boehmite NPs provides a cost-effective approach.
• High flux and effective contaminant removal highlight the potential of electropositive membranes in water treatment.