Biocatalytic membranes in anti-fouling and emerging pollutant degradation applications: Current state and perspectives

Biocatalytic membranes, which are fabricated by taking advantage of the synergetic effect of membranes and enzymes, have been one of the attractive treatment methods as sustainable and environmentally friendly. In biocatalytic membrane systems, enzymes can be free or immobilized, but the number of immobilized applications increases due to the advantages of immobilization. Immobilization is one of the critical points to improve the storage and operational stability of enzymes. Additionally, immobilized enzymes have a significant benefit over free enzymes in terms of reusability. This review summarizes recent advances in the preparation of biocatalytic membranes with the different immobilization methods of enzymes in/on membranes, paying particular attention to recent approaches for anti-fouling and emerging pollutant degradation applications. Also, some future outlooks were briefly presented.