Enhancing the anti-fouling performance of polyamide membranes via surface modification using Ag2O/UiO-66 composites
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62239/jca.2026.030Keywords:
Thin film nanocomposite membrane , Metal organic framework , MOF, Silver oxide , Desalination, Anti-foulingAbstract
This study addresses the permeability and fouling limitations of polyamide membranes through the development of thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes incorporating an Ag2O/UiO-66 composite. Physicochemical characterizations confirmed the uniform dispersion and immobilization of the composite within the polyamide selective layer. Optimized synthesis significantly enhanced surface hydrophilicity, reducing the water contact angle from 81.7° to 42.2°. Consequently, the modified membrane exhibited an impressive water flux of 11.93 L.m-2.h-1 - 1.86 times higher than the pristine membrane, while maintaining a stable salt rejection above 92%. The formation of a hydration layer yielded an exceptional flux recovery rate (FRR) of 99.96% and reduced the fouling degree (DF) to a mere 6.80% (a 3-fold decrease). Furthermore, the incorporated Ag2O imparted near 100% antibacterial efficacy against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. These findings highlighted the Ag2O/UiO-66 system's potential for fabricating high-performance membranes with superior anti-fouling and antibacterial properties.
Downloads
References
M.Q. Seah, W.J. Lau, P.S. Goh, H.H. Tseng, R.A. Wahab, A.F. Ismail, Polymers (Basel), 12(12) (2020) 2817. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12122817
Z.C. Ng, W.J. Lau, T. Matsuura, A.F. Ismail, Chem. Eng. Res. Des., 165 (2021) 81-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2020.10.003
H. Xu, K. Xiao, X. Wang, S. Liang, C. Wei, X. Wen, X. Huang, Front. Chem., 8 (2020) 417. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2020.00417
M.A. Abu-Dalo, A. Bozeya, Z. Sawalmeh, B. Albiss, N. Alnairat, R. Abu-Zurayk, PeerJ Anal. Chem., 5 (2023) e26. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj-achem.26
Y. Maeda, Membranes (Basel), 15(3) (2025) 94. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15030094
G.D. Kang, Y.M. Cao, Water Res., 46(3) (2012) 584-600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2011.11.041
M. Kumar, M.A. Khan, H.A. Arafat, ACS Omega, 5(8) (2020) 3792-3800. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.9b03975
Q. Yu, Y. Zhou, C. Gao, Desalination, 587 (2024) 117917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2024.117917
D. Ma, S.B. Peh, G. Han, S.B. Chen, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 9(8) (2017) 7523-7534. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6b14223
A.Matin, Z. Khan, S.M.J. Zaidi, M.C. Boyce, Desalination, 281 (2011) 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2011.06.063
J. Xu, X. Feng, J. Hou, X. Wang, B. Shan, L. Yu, C. Gao, J. Membr. Sci., 446 (2013) [Pages cần kiểm tra]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2013.06.041
W. Xu, H. Zhuang, Z. Xu, M. Huang, S. Gao, Q. Li, G. Zhang, Adv. Polym. Technol., 2020 (2020) 5456707. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/5456707
A.C. Mecha, M.N. Chollom, B.F. Babatunde, E.K. Tetteh, S. Rathilal, Membranes (Basel), 13(4) (2023) 432. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13040432
J. Colás-Sebastián, J.M. Luque-Alled, C. Téllez, J. Coronas, J. Water Process Eng., 78 (2025) 108642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108642
E. Mahmoudi, L.Y. Ng, W.L. Ang, Y.T. Chung, R. Rohani, A.W. Mohammad, Sci. Rep., 9(1) (2019) 1216. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-38060-x
Y. Zhang, X. Huang, J. Chen, J. Li, S. Zhou, J. Chen, ACS Appl. Nano Mater., 7(4) (2024) 4277-4287. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.3c05780
D.X. Trinh, T.P.N. Tran, T. Taniike, Sep. Purif. Technol., 177 (2017). 249-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2017.01.004
G. Hootifard, E. Sheikhhosseini, S.A. Ahmadi, M. Yahyazadehfar, Sci. Rep., 13(1) (2023) 17500. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44667-6
D.M. Venturi, F. Campana, F. Marmottini, F. Costantino, L. Vaccaro, ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng., 8(46) (2020) 17154-17164. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c05587
T. Le Trinh, N. Thi Phung, S.T. Le, D.X. Trinh, Chem. Eng. Res. Des., 199 (2023) 497-506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2023.10.005
M. Amini, M. Seifi, A. Akbari, M. Hosseinifard, Polyhedron, 179 (2020) 114362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2020.114362
X. Tian, Z. Cao, J. Wang, J. Chen, Y. Wei, RSC Adv., 10(10) (2020) 5648-5655. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9ra10826b
V. Freger, Langmuir, 19(11) (2003) 4791-4797. https://doi.org/10.1021/la020920q
E. Shi, Y. Liu, X. Wei, F. Zhao, T. Wang, Y. Du, C. Wang, C. Fan, Y. Yang, Y. Wang, Z. Jiang, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 65 (3) (2026) 1781-1791. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.5c03745
M.J.T. Raaijmakers, N.E. Benes, Prog. Polym. Sci., 63 (2016) 86-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2016.06.004
Y. Cui, X.Y. Liu, T.S. Chung, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 56(2) (2017) 513-523. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.6b04283
R.A. Lestari, M. Elma, I. Syauqiah, M. Roilbilad, A. Rahma, J. Chem. Rev., 7(4) (2025) 674-705. https://doi.org/10.48309/jcr.2025.521927.1453
B. Khorshidi, T. Thundat, B.A. Fleck, M. Sadrzadeh, RSC Adv., 5(68) (2015) 54985-54997. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5ra08317f
R. Zhang, Y. Liu, M. He, Y. Su, X. Zhao, M. Elimelech, Z. Jiang, Chem. Soc. Rev., 45(21) (2016) 5888-5924. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5cs00579e
T.A. Geleta, I.V. Maggay, Y. Chang, A. Venault, Membranes (Basel), 13(1) (2023) 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13010058
D.R. Kandel, M.B. Poudel, P. Gaudel, D.J. Yoo, J. Lee, Desalination, 619 (2026) 119509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2025.119509
Q.C. Chen, Y. Bang, L. Li, H.Y. Deng, Adv. Polym. Technol., 2022 (2022) 4197365. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4197365
Z. Gu, S. Yu, J. Zhu, P. Li, X. Gao, R. Zhang, Desalination, 493 (2020) 114661. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2020.114661
Ounifi, A. Boubakri, S. Elgharbi, A. Rebhi, O. Bechambi, A. Hafiane, Results Chem., 15 (2025) 102282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rechem.2025.102282
Y. Mansourpanah, A. Ghanbari, H. Yazdani, A.G. Mohammadi, A. Rahimpour, Desalination, 511 (2021) 115109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2021.115109
D. Han, X. Liu, S. Wu, Chem. Soc. Rev., 51(16) (2022) 7138-7169. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2cs00460g
Downloads
Published
Data Availability Statement
The data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials.
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Hoang Van An, Quach Manh Dung, Trinh Xuan Dai

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.









