Nanostructured microporous membranes for advanced water and wastewater treatment

Abstract The rapid development in nanotechnology is driving the innovation of nanostructured porous membranes for water and wastewater treatment. However, most advances in this field are in the incubation phase as traditional polymeric membranes still dominate the market, partially due to the lack of the knowledge concerning the appropriate nanostructure for the desired application. Therefore this chapter provides an overview of the interplays between porous nanostructures and diverse water pollutants, as manifested during the filtration of a variety of pollutants by different nanoporous membranes. The results demonstrate that pore structure and surface functionality jointly affect the permeability, selectivity, and antifouling propensity of nanostructured membranes during water treatment. The ultimate effects are strongly influenced by pollutant–membrane interactions across the aqueous phase, but knowledge in this regard is insufficient to draw a simple conclusion regarding the exact nanostructure suitable for membrane-based water and wastewater treatment. Future studies are thus warranted in this regard. Based upon the market situation, we predict that full-scale application of the nanostructured porous membrane will first take place in decentralized water treatment where the disadvantages of traditional polymeric membranes have been evidenced.