High-Performance Ti₃C₂T-MXene/Mycelium Hybrid Membrane for Efficient Lead Remediation: Design and Mechanistic...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Lead (Pb(II)) contamination in aqueous solutions poses significant environmental and health risks.
• Existing remediation technologies often face challenges with efficiency, cost, and sustainability, especially at high contaminant concentrations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a hybrid microfiltration membrane for high-performance lead (Pb(II)) remediation.
• To investigate the fabrication and performance of Ti3C2Tx-MXene/mycelium (MyMX) membranes for removing high concentrations of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of hybrid Ti3C2Tx-MXene/mycelium (MyMX) membranes using a single-step electrochemical deposition (ECD) technique.
• Optimization of ECD parameters using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).
• Evaluation of Pb(II) remediation performance through immersion-based and cross-flow experiments, with characterization using infrared (IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Main Results:

• MyMX membranes exhibited high Pb(II) removal efficiency (>87-99%) and rapid sorption kinetics across a wide concentration range (60-1500 ppm).
• Enhanced Pb(II) sorption was attributed to synergistic electrostatic interactions and surface complexation mechanisms.
• Cross-flow studies demonstrated a high Pb(II) sorption capacity (~1347 mg/g) and permeation rate (51,800 L m⁻² bar⁻¹ h⁻¹), outperforming existing membranes.

Conclusions:

• The biomaterial-based hybrid MyMX membrane offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution for Pb(II) remediation.
• This technology represents a significant advancement in water treatment for effectively addressing lead contamination.
• The developed MyMX membranes show promise for practical applications in treating contaminated water sources.