Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nanoflake (SNF)-Blended Polysulfone Ultrafiltration Membrane

Silver nanoflakes were incorporated into polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes at various concentrations to add antibacterial properties. Higher nanoflake concentrations improved antibacterial performance but reduced membrane flux. The modified membranes show promise for water treatment applications where biofouling is a persistent problem.

2022 Polymers 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrified membranes for microplastic fouling mitigation

This study explored electrified membranes as a solution to the severe fouling of water treatment membranes caused by microplastics. Applying electrical current to membranes can repel negatively charged microplastics, reducing clogging and improving the efficiency of microplastic removal from drinking water.

2023 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Advancing water treatment sustainability: Investigating electrified Ti3C2T composite membranes for minimizing microplastic fouling

Researchers developed electrified composite membranes using sulfonated polyethersulfone and MXene (Ti3C2T) to reduce microplastic fouling in ultrafiltration systems, finding that applying an electric field significantly reduced plastic particle adhesion to the membrane surface. The approach offers a promising strategy for maintaining membrane performance in water treatment plants handling microplastic-contaminated water.

2023 Chemosphere 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics-resistant FO membranes: Zwitterionic MOF nanoparticles for superior fouling control

Researchers developed a new type of forward osmosis membrane modified with zwitterionic metal-organic framework nanoparticles to resist fouling by microplastics. The modified membranes showed a 73 percent improvement in water-attracting properties and only a 17 percent decline in water flow during fouling tests, compared to 60 percent for unmodified membranes. The technology could improve the efficiency of water treatment systems that need to handle microplastic-contaminated water.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Antifouling and Antimicrobial Study of Nanostructured Mixed-Matrix Membranes for Arsenic Filtration

Researchers developed nanostructured mixed-matrix membranes with enhanced antifouling and antimicrobial properties for arsenic filtration in water treatment, demonstrating that nanoparticle incorporation improves membrane performance and resistance to biofouling.

2023 Nanomaterials 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Modifying gas transfer membranes with nanoscale zero-valent iron: effects on membrane material properties, treatment performance, and biofilm thickness

Researchers fabricated polyvinylidene fluoride gas transfer hollow-fiber membranes incorporating nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) at four concentrations and evaluated their surface morphology, porosity, gas permeability, and biofilm thickness in membrane biofilm reactors. Results showed that increasing nZVI content reduced microbial affinity for membrane surfaces, decreasing biofilm accumulation while affecting gas permeability and biochemical reaction rates.

2024 Water Science & Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Progress towards Stable and High-Performance Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Nanofiltration Membranes for Future Wastewater Treatment Applications

This review evaluates polyelectrolyte multilayer nanofiltration membranes as an alternative to conventional thin-film composite membranes for wastewater treatment, highlighting recent advances in chemical resistance and fouling prevention that make them promising candidates for future water purification applications.

2023 Membranes 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of New Approaches for Fouling Mitigation in Membrane Separation Processes in Water Treatment Applications

This review examined new antifouling strategies for membrane separation processes in water treatment, analyzing how organic matter including nano/microplastics, inorganic particles, and biological matter cause membrane fouling, and evaluating nanomaterial-based and other emerging mitigation approaches.

2021 Separations 140 citations
Article Tier 2

A PDA@ZIF-8-Incorporated PMIA TFN-FO Membrane for Seawater Desalination: Improving Water Flux and Anti-Fouling Performance

Researchers developed a thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membrane incorporating polydopamine-coated ZIF-8 metal-organic framework particles into a polyamide matrix for seawater desalination. The modified membrane showed improved water flux and salt rejection compared to conventional forward osmosis membranes.

2024 Membranes 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Innovative Physical and Chemical Strategies for the Modification and Development of Polymeric Microfiltration Membranes—A Review

This review covers physical and chemical strategies for modifying polymeric microfiltration membranes to improve their performance and reduce fouling in water, dairy, beverage, and pharmaceutical processing. While not exclusively focused on microplastics, these membrane technologies are directly relevant as filtration barriers for removing micro- and nanoplastic particles from treated water.

2026 Polymers
Article Tier 2

Interfacial Engineering of Sulfonated Polyethersulfone/ZIF‐8 Forward Osmosis Membranes: Applying Sulfonation and Interlayers for Enhanced Desalination Performance

Researchers engineered sulfonated polyethersulfone-based forward osmosis membranes with ZIF-8 interlayers, demonstrating that tunable sulfonation combined with MOF interlayer engineering substantially improved both water permeability and salt rejection.

2025 Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics fouling and interaction with polymeric membranes: A review

This review examined microplastic fouling of polymeric membranes used in water treatment, analyzing how MPs affect membrane permeability and rejection performance, and discussing strategies — including surface modification and pre-treatment — to mitigate fouling.

2021 Chemosphere 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of natural organic matter from surface water sources by nanofiltration and surface engineering membranes for fouling mitigation – A review

Researchers reviewed how nanofiltration membranes can remove natural organic matter — a key source of toxic disinfection byproducts — from drinking water, and assessed how surface engineering can reduce membrane clogging (fouling). They found that membranes modified with zwitterionic polymers show the most promise for maintaining clean, effective water treatment over time.

2023 Chemosphere 64 citations
Article Tier 2

New insights into the concentration-dependent regulation of membrane biofouling formation via continuous nanoplastics stimulation

Researchers investigated how different concentrations of nanoplastics affect membrane biofouling by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa in water filtration systems. They found that low nanoplastic concentrations actually promoted biofilm formation by enhancing bacterial communication and energy metabolism, while high concentrations inhibited it through oxidative stress. The study reveals that nanoplastic pollution can influence water treatment membrane performance in concentration-dependent ways.

2024 Water Research 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of Iron Oxide-Coated Membranes in Permeable Block Systems for Advanced Removal of Micro- and Nanoplastics

This study evaluated iron oxide-coated membranes integrated into permeable block systems for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from aqueous media. The iron oxide coating enhanced MP capture through electrostatic and magnetic interactions, achieving higher removal efficiencies than uncoated membranes.

2025 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Effect of Promising Sustainable Nano-Reinforcements on Polysulfone/Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Based Membranes: Enhancing Mechanical Properties and Water Filtration Performance

Researchers tested nano-reinforced polysulfone/polyvinylpyrrolidone composite membranes for water filtration, evaluating how sustainable nanomaterial additives improved membrane permeability, rejection performance, and mechanical durability. The enhanced membranes showed improved filtration efficiency for water treatment applications.

2024 Polymers 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Performance of Electrified MXene Membranes in Real Wastewater Applications

Researchers investigated the performance of electrified MXene-based membranes for nanoplastic removal from real wastewater, finding that applying an electric field significantly improved nanoplastic rejection through electrostatic repulsion and electrocoagulation mechanisms while also increasing water flux compared to non-electrified conditions.

2025 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Direct membrane filtration for wastewater treatment and resource recovery: A review

Researchers review direct membrane filtration technologies — including pressure-driven, osmotic, thermal, and electrically driven processes — for wastewater treatment and nutrient recovery, evaluating treatment efficiency and identifying membrane fouling as the primary operational challenge, with physical and chemical cleaning strategies highlighted as key to long-term viability.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 602 citations
Article Tier 2

Defect-engineered metal organic framework thin film nanocomposite membranes for enhanced forward osmosis performance and microplastic antifouling

Researchers engineered a new type of water filtration membrane by embedding specially designed metal-organic framework (MOF) particles into a thin film, achieving a three-fold increase in water flow rate while also becoming significantly more resistant to fouling by microplastics compared to standard membranes. The MOF particles were given controlled structural defects that created additional water transport pathways and made the membrane surface more water-attracting, reducing plastic particle adhesion. More efficient, fouling-resistant membranes could improve the viability of advanced water treatment systems for removing microplastics.

2026 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
Article Tier 2

Efficient heavy metals and salts rejection using a novel modified polysulfone nanofiltration membrane

Researchers developed a modified membrane filter using a functionalized silica material (H-KIT-6) embedded in polysulfone to remove heavy metals and salts from contaminated water with up to 99.85% efficiency. This improved nanofiltration membrane also resists clogging better than standard membranes, making it a practical candidate for purifying industrial wastewater and brackish drinking water sources.

2022 Applied Water Science 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorptive chito-beads for control of membrane fouling

Researchers fabricated chitosan microbeads (32–283 µm) as a plastic-free alternative to microplastic-based scrubbers for cleaning reverse osmosis membranes, finding that smaller beads achieved higher fouling removal efficiency through physicochemical attraction to humic acid foulants, offering a biodegradable approach to industrial membrane maintenance.

2023 Carbohydrate Polymers 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Mitigation of membrane particulate fouling by nano/microplastics via physical cleaning strategies

This study assessed physical cleaning strategies for removing nano- and microplastic fouling from membrane surfaces used in water treatment, finding that backwashing and chemical cleaning effectiveness varied by plastic particle size and surface charge.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal-organic framework membrane for waterborne micro/nanoplastics treatment

Researchers reviewed the potential of metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes — materials with highly tunable pore structures — to filter micro- and nanoplastics from water more effectively than conventional filtration. MOF membranes showed promise due to their adjustable surface chemistry and resistance to biological fouling, though challenges like particle clumping and structural stability still need to be resolved.

2023 Chemical Engineering Journal 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Improving Membrane Filtration for Copper Speciation: Optimal Salt Pretreatments of Polyethersulfone Membranes to Prevent Analyte Retention

Researchers developed optimized salt pretreatment protocols for polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes used in copper speciation studies, preventing unwanted retention of metal ions by membrane sulfonic acid groups and improving the accuracy of dissolved metal measurements.

2023 ACS Omega 8 citations