Exploring the Role of Nanoparticles Incorporated in PES Membranes for Photodegradation of Persistent Pollutants Under Simulated Sunlight

Water scarcity is a critical global issue exacerbated by pollution and inefficient water management. Traditional water treatment methods are often insufficient to address complex pollutants. This study investigates the fabrication and performance of photocatalytic membrane (polyethersulfone (PES) membranes incorporated with photocatalytic nanoparticles of titanium dioxide doped with silver) for photodegradation of trace organic compounds (TrOCs) under simulated sunlight irradiation. The membranes were prepared using the non solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method and tested their photocatalytic activity in degrading proteins such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), and dyes such as methyl orange (MO), and methylene blue (MB). Results indicated that the incorporation of nanoparticles significantly improved the degradation efficiency of the pollutants, with the highest performance observed in photocatalytic membranes with the highest nanoparticles content. The study demonstrates the potential of photocatalytic membranes for advanced water treatment applications, offering a promising solution for removal of complex pollutants, mitigating water pollution and scarcity.