Reconstructing Electrically\nConductive Nanofiltration\nMembranes with an Aniline-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes Interlayer\nfor Highly Effective Toxic Organic Treatment

Conductive nanofiltration (CNF) membranes hold great\npromise for\nremoving small organic pollutants from water through enhanced Donnan\nexclusion and electrocatalytic degradation. However, current CNF membranes\nface limitations in conductivity, structural stability, and nanochannel\ncontrol strategies. This work addresses these challenges by introducing\naniline-functionalized carbon nanotubes (NH<sub>2</sub>-CNTs) as an\ninterlayer. NH<sub>2</sub>-CNTs enhance the dispersibility and adhesion\nof pristine carbon nanotubes, leading to a more conductive and stable\ncomposite nanofiltration membrane. The redesigned NH<sub>2</sub>-CNTs\ninterlayered conductive nanofiltration (NICNF) membrane exhibits a\n10-fold increase in conductivity and a high response degree (80%)\nwith excellent cyclic stability, surpassing existing CNF membranes.\nThe synergistic effects of enhanced Donnan exclusion, voltage switching,\nand electrocatalysis enable the NICNF membrane to achieve selective\nrecovery of mixed dyes, 98.97% removal of residual wastewater toxicity,\nand a 5.2-fold increase in permeance compared to the commercial NF270\nmembrane. This research paves the way for next-generation multifunctional\nmembranes capable of the efficient recovery and degradation of toxic\norganic pollutants in wastewater.