From electronic wastes to efficient and specific filtration membranes: A photovoltaic upcycling case enabling silver urban mining

The increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions has driven research into the reuse of photovoltaic (PV) waste. In this study, a bimetallic metal-organic framework (Cu/Ag MOF) was synthesized directly from PV waste leachate and subsequently integrated into a thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane for nanofiltration-based silver (Ag) recovery. The optimized TFN membrane demonstrated high selectivity of ( < S i > < / i > A g + , C u 2 + = 7.99 ) and recovery of 99.1 % for Ag over five repeated filtration cycles while maintaining the membrane integrity. The membrane also exhibited exceptional antifouling performance, with a flux recovery rate (FRR) of 92.8 %, and high stability with only 0.5 % detachment of Cu/Ag MOF after prolonged use. Additionally, the high water permeability (58.6 L/(m 2 ·h·bar)) of the TFN membrane has enabled efficient filtration performance. These results highlight the feasibility of Cu/Ag MOF-based TFN membranes for sustainable Ag recovery from PV waste and likely other electronic waste leachates, contributing to circular economy initiatives and resource recovery technologies. • A case study on closing the loop of photovoltaic waste utilization. • Development of a Cu/Ag metal-organic framework (MOF) synthesized directly from photovoltaic (PV) waste leachate. • Fabrication of a thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane incorporating the Cu/Ag MOFs for silver recovery. • TFN membrane performing versus Ag + recovery from PV waste leachate, permeability, regeneration, antifouling and anti-aging. • Improving the environmental and economic benefits by increasing the utilization of PV waste.