Robust dual-light responsive hydrogel-modified poly(arylene ether nitrile) fibrous membrane via nano-reinforcement of...

Hydrogel exhibits distinct advantages for constructing advanced antifouling membranes due to its high water permeability and water retention capacity. To overcome the weak interfacial adhesion and limited functionality of conventional hydrogel coatings, the stable dual-light responsive fibrous composite membrane (FCM) was engineered by anchoring 3D artichoke-like CuO@GO microsphere within poly(vinyl alcohol)-tannic acid hydrogel network onto poly(arylene ether nitrile) (PEN) nanofibrous scaffold via multi-interface bonding. Compared with traditional 2D laminar structure, the distinctive 3D microspherical architecture effectively suppressed the compact restacking of GO nanosheets, which preserved abundant water-transport channels for enhancing permeability while constructing hierarchical hydrophilic/underwater oleophobic surface. Consequently, the modified membrane delivered efficient separation across various oil-in-water emulsions, achieving high permeation flux up to 3028 L·m⁻²·h⁻¹ and separation efficiency above 99.5%. Benefiting from multiple interfacial covalent bonds and nano-reinforcement, the PEN FCM membrane exhibited high tensile strength of 22.763 MPa and maintained structural stability even under aggressive chemical environments and physical scouring. Furthermore, the 3D hierarchical artichoke-like CuO@GO heterojunction enabled broad-spectrum light harvesting and rapid photothermal conversion (rising from 36.38 °C to 92.71 °C within 80 s), which effectively reduced oil viscosity to mitigate membrane fouling. Moreover, the activation of peroxymonosulfate imparted efficient degradation of various organic dyes within 1 h (92.81% removal of methyl orange), enabling the potent photocatalytic self-cleaning capability to the membrane. Collectively, this dual-light-responsive strategy offers a promising route for treating complex oily wastewater while alleviating membrane fouling.