Synthesis and Characterization of MIL-101/PAN Membranes for Water Treatment

Abstract

The problem of water pollution and shortage is one of the most topical global issues in the 21st century, and the creation of its purification technology that becomes efficient and environmental saving is a prompt necessity. This study introduces the synthesis and characterization of metal-organic framework, mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) of MIL-101 and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in a view of advanced water treatment. Composite membranes were prepared by incorporation of the MIL-101 and the PAN polymer matrix by phase inversion and electrospinning process. MIL-101 was found to be highly porous, with a high surface area, and chemical stable, and by incorporating the Nano and the PAN membranes could be tailored in order to absorb the energy of a wider range of energy. The FTIR, SEM, TGA, and contact angle techniques were adopted to study the membranes synthesized by characterizing their structural integrity, surface morphology, thermal stability, and hydrophilicity. MIL-101/PAN membranes performance was measured by water flux, rejection efficiency, and reusability to remove the heavy metals, dyes and salts. The findings demonstrated that the membrane permeability and pollutant rejection was hugely better after the addition of MIL-101 leading to an increase in porosity and active sites. The membranes also exhibited excellent possessive nature and strength after more than one passage of filtration process. This study validates the prospective of the MIL-101/PAN composite membranes system as a potentially effective, scalable and cost-efficient method of purifying water especially in the purification of industrial effluents and fresh brackish water.