Engineering\nNovel Thin-Film Composite Membrane for\nEfficient Forward Osmosis Desalination: Fabrication and Performance\nEvaluation

Forward osmosis (FO) represents an\ninnovative avenue\nfor energy-efficient\nwater generation from a saline feed. This work presents the development\nof a thin-film composite (TFC) FO membrane for desalination application.\nThe membrane support layer was fabricated using polyether sulfone\n(PES) and was modified with poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOx) and goethite\nnanoparticles as hydrophilic enhancers. The peak occurring at 1637\ncm<sup>–1</sup> in FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of PEOx.\nMoreover, X-ray diffraction spectra of the membrane substrate displayed\ndistinct peaks at 21.40, 33.53, 34.8, and 36.73°, indicative\nof the presence of geothite nanoparticles. The morphologies of fabricated\nPES support layers were observed to be significantly porous in scanning\nelectron microscopy images, along with improved porosity and average\npore size. The support layer achieved a superhydrophilic loose side\n(∼0° WCA) and a hydrophilic dense side (∼50.7°\nWCA), indicating enhanced wetting characteristics. Additionally, the\nsupport layer demonstrated the development of a selective polyamide\nlayer. The water permeability coefficient “A” of the\nTFC-FO membrane was enhanced, and the structural parameter “<i>S</i>” was reduced dramatically. Furthermore, the optimal\nmembrane TFC-M4 exhibited nearly 5.62 and 11.25 LMH flux under FO\nand PRO modes respectively, with 2 M NaCl draw and deionized water\nas feed solutions.