High performance Zn–Al LDH modified forward osmosis membrane with antibacterial, anti-membrane fouling, and photocatalytic degradation ability

Forward osmosis membrane has shown great potential in the fields of seawater desalination and sewage treatment. However, the concentration polarization phenomenon and membrane fouling in the water treatment process greatly reduce the water treatment performance and restrict its application. To address these challenges, we employed a pre-buried seed-in-situ growth method to facilitate the Zn–Al layered double hydroxide (Zn–Al LDH) growth on the thin nanofiber membrane, and use it as the support layer for the preparation of a Zn–Al LDH modified forward osmosis membrane. Studies have shown that the introduction of Zn–Al LDH significantly improves the water treatment efficiency of the forward osmosis membrane (In Al-DS mode, the water flux increased by 87.5 %, up to 50.50 LMH, with a low specific salt flux of 0.13 g L −1 ). It also exhibits exceptional antibacterial, anti-membrane fouling, and photocatalytic degradation properties. This research presents a novel approach for the development of advanced high-efficiency forward osmosis membranes.