Construction of Highly Hydrophilic and Electronegative Ultrafiltration Membranes Based on Modified ZIF-8 for Synergistic Antifouling and Dye Adsorption

An efficient hydrophilic and electronegative nanofiller (T-ZIF-8-NS) was fabricated to develop mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) with enhanced antifouling properties and dye separation capabilities. The optimized M3 (F-SPAEKS/T-ZIF-8-NS-0.1 wt %) demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving a water flux of 867.1 L·m–2·h–1, 99.7% bovine serum albumin (BSA) retention, and 92.86% flux recovery after cleaning. At the same time, M3 achieved initial retention rates exceeding 99.75% for cationic dyes (Rhodamine B/methylene blue) and 99.42% for anionic Congo red (CR) while demonstrating selective cationic adsorption in mixed dye systems. This conclusion illustrates the addressing of critical challenges in wastewater purification through the development of strongly electronegative MOF-modified ultrafiltration membranes that synergistically enhance BSA fouling resistance and dye separation efficiency, overcoming the trade-off limitations of conventional polymeric membranes in complex aquatic environments.