Fabrication of antifouling two-dimensional MoS₂ layered PVDF membrane: Experimental and density functional theory calculation

Two-dimensional MoS₂ nanosheets were synthesized with the exfoliation method, and deposited on PVDF support to develop high-efficiency membranes for water treatment. A variety of analyses were performed on the nanosheets, including FESEM, FTIR, UV–Visible, XRD, and EDS. In addition, the bulk and nanosheet of MoS₂ were theoretically investigated using density functional theory (DFT). The theoretical and experimental results demonstrate the successful formation of MoS₂ nanosheets. Analyses related to flux and membrane fouling were carried out on MoS₂/PVDF membranes with various contents of the coating layer; these analyses were supported by FESEM, EDS, water contact angle, AFM, and zeta potential measurements. The antifouling properties as well as the water flux in the modified samples have improved compared to the bare sample. This is primarily related to the increase in hydrophilic properties due to the addition of nanosheets. The modified membranes also show better performance when purifying dyes, BSA, and Na₂SO₄. Based on these results, we conclude that PVDF/MoS₂ membranes provide excellent water purification performance.