Development of negatively charged polyether sulfone membrane enriched with MIL-101(Cr)-modified magnetic activated pyrolytic coke for enhanced dye removal, permeability, and antifouling properties

Developing high-performance nanofiltration membranes for effectively treating wastewater contaminated with organic pollutants has become increasingly important. Given the hazardous nature of these contaminants, proper treatment of wastewater is crucial before it is released into natural water bodies. This study synthesized a novel composite membrane by incorporating Fe₃O₄@APC@MIL-101(Cr) nanocomposites into a polyether sulfone (PES) matrix using a phase inversion technique. The inclusion of 0.5 wt% Fe₃O₄@APC@MIL-101(Cr) significantly enhanced the membrane's hydrophilicity, porosity, and surface characteristics. The optimized membrane achieved an impressive pure water flux (PWF) of 90.24 L/m²h, reflecting a 400 % improvement over pristine PES membranes. Moreover, it exhibited excellent rejection rates of 97.21 % for crystal violet (CV) and 99.43 % for methylene blue (MB), alongside a rejection efficiency of 57.73 % for the anionic dye methyl orange (MO). The antifouling performance was notably improved, as evidenced by an increase in the flux recovery ratio (FRR) from 45.95 % for bare PES membranes to 81.11 % for hybrid membranes. Additionally, the effects of various salt types on the membrane's separation performance were investigated. The Fe₃O₄@APC@MIL-101(Cr) modified PES membranes demonstrate significant potential as effective candidates for treating wastewater contaminated with dye pollutants.