Ultra-low pressure driven photo-catalytic membrane with zero fouling performance

Flow-through catalytic membrane reactors aim to achieve a long-term safe and stable operation through the catalytic performance of the membrane itself. However, applications are hindered by the easy deactivation of catalytic sites and insufficient catalytic efficiency in complex aqueous environments and long-term operation. Here, a model is proposed that anchors Fe single atoms to the 2D material g-C 3 N 4 and combines it with a gravity-driven ultra-low-pressure filtration system to enhance the membrane catalytic performance and reduce the pollutant accumulation rate, respectively. In addition, Fe sites have a stronger adsorption energy for acetylaminophenol (APAP) and reactive oxygen species, thus increasing their contact in the filtration catalysis process. The efficient catalytic layer combined with the restricted space between the membranes endowed the membrane with a 100% APAP removal efficiency and a reaction rate of 0.225 m s −1 which is 5–7 orders of magnitude higher than conventional photocatalytic reactions. Even after ultra-long filtration time (100 h), 85% APAP removal and zero fouling accumulation can be achieved in real water samples. Compared with the reported technology, the pollutant degradation capacity of this work is improved by 3 orders of magnitude and almost negligible energy consumption. This system has nearly 100% degradation efficiency for various water pollutants and can be combined with other AOPs processes, revealing the importance of ultra-low-pressure filtration and the introduction of single atoms for mobile catalytic systems.