Co-Aggregation Induced by Amphiphilic Membrane Interface for the Capture of Trace Endocrine Disruptors from Water

Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) are widely detected in water resources owing to the abuse of plastic products, posing a serious global concern. Unfortunately, the rapid, effective, and economical removal of trace EDCs from water remains a significant challenge. Herein, a novel adsorptive membrane (PVPM) with excellent recyclability and stability is prepared by the UV-initiated grafting of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PNVP) onto the surface of polypropylene fibrous membrane (PPM). The PVPM exhibits high flux, low-pressure drop, and excellent adsorption performance. It can efficiently capture trace (10 µg L −1 ) EDCs with a removal efficiency of 99%. Notably, the adsorption performance of the PVPM remains unchanged even in river water. A mechanism for the adsorption is proposed based on adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics. Specifically, dynamic hydrophobic microdomains are generated between amphiphilic PNVP and EDCs and form co-aggregates on the PPM substrate. This co-aggregation is responsible for the large adsorption capacity for EDCs. A large decrease in the free energy (−16.65 kJ mol −1 ) of the adsorption process provides additional evidence for the strong adsorption affinity of the PVPM to EDCs. This study introduces a new pathway for designing low-cost and high-performance membrane adsorbents for prompt and efficient capture of trace EDCs from water.