A coupled molybdenum disulfide - copper modification of NF membrane for enhanced anti-bacterial performance

Biofouling is a bottleneck in restricting nanofiltration (NF) application for drinking water treatment . In current study, we reported a novel molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) ‑ copper (Cu 2+ ) modification of polyamide NF membrane for enhanced anti-bacterial performance. The incorporation of Cu 2+ into the separation layer through interfacial polymerization was to enhance the anti-microbial ability, while the introduction of lamellar MoS 2 into the polyamide active layer was to stably immobilize copper, as well as to provide an interlayer nanochannels for water transport and also to enhance membrane hydrophilicity . The resultant membrane showed an excellent anti-bacterial ability, with 99.1% and 96.7% inactivation efficiencies of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis , respectively, at MoS 2 - Cu molar ratio of 1:0.3. Compared to the control membrane, the obtained membrane exhibited a 44% increase of pure water flux . Membrane stability assessment indicated that > 93% of initial loaded Cu 2+ and Mo 4+ remained in the membrane matrix after a 5-d shaking test. Membrane characterization suggested that the MoS 2 - Cu complexes were uniformly dispersed into the membrane active layer, which led to an increased membrane roughness that was favorable for antibiofouling. Overall, the facile MoS 2 – Cu addition with intensified anti-biofouling ability created in this study provides a promising membrane modification approach for practical application.