Preparation of superhydrophilic and antifouling membranes by loading MOFs for efficient oil-in-water emulsion separation

Emulsified oil has dynamic stability, and its harmless treatment has become a challenging problem worldwide. Membrane filtration technology has garnered significant attention in the field of oil-water separation due to its low cost, high efficiency, and environmental friendliness. In this study, NH 2 -CAU-1 was incorporated into a polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) matrix to fabricate superhydrophilic and antifouling mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) via the phase inversion method, which were subsequently used for the separation of several oil-in-water emulsions. By adjusting the NH 2 -CAU-1 loading capacity, the mechanical properties, wettability, separation performance, and antifouling properties of the MMMs were optimized. The results indicated that when the NH 2 -CAU-1 loading is 0.1 wt%, the MMMs exhibited superhydrophilicity (water contact angle is 4.2°) and underwater superoleophobicity (underwater oil contact angle is 153.4°), achieving a separation efficiency of over 99.55% for various oil-in-water emulsions, with an irreversible fouling rate of only 2.66%.