High-performance thin film composite nanofiltration membranes with MoS2 nanosheet interlayer

High-performance polyamide thin film composite (TFC) nanofiltration membranes have received great attention in recent years. Herein, we report the preparation of TFC nanofiltration membranes by interfacial polymerization using MoS 2 nanosheets as the nanomaterial interlayer. The aqueous monomer and MoS 2 nanosheets are distributed on the surface of microporous membrane substrates by a one-step method. The MoS 2 interlayer improves the uniformity and smoothness of the microporous substrates, helping to form polyamide nanofilms at ultralow monomer concentration. Moreover, the hydrophilic and negatively-charged MoS 2 nanosheets enhance the water permeability and negative charges of the nanofiltration membranes. The composite membranes show both high water permeance of 33.5 L m −2  h −1  bar −1 and Na 2 SO 4 rejection of 97.5%, as well as significantly improved mono-/divalent anions selectivity and antifouling property. It is proved that the interfacial polymerization strategy assisted by the MoS 2 interlayer is effective for preparing high-performance nanofiltration membranes.