Synthesis and characterization of vanadium germanium carbide MAX phase to prepare antibacterial PES ultrafiltration membrane

This work investigates the permeability and antifouling characteristics of vanadium germanium carbide (V₂GeC) MAX phase, which is recognized for their nano-layered structure when added to polyether sulfone (PES) membranes to reduce membrane fouling against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). The structural and morphological characteristics of the composite membranes were described, and their effectiveness in reducing biofouling was assessed. The synthesized MAX phase and composite membranes were structurally characterized. V₂GeC MAX phase exhibited a significant radical scavenging activity of 93.3 % at a concentration of 200 mg/L. It was determined that it significantly activated α-amylase enzyme activity depending on concentration. The compound caused single-strand DNA cleavage at 100 mg/L and double-strand DNA cleavage at 200 mg/L. V₂GeC MAX phase provided a remarkable inhibition for six bacterial and two fungal strains. The antibiofilm effect against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus was 86.7 % and 90.6 %, respectively. Also, the compound meaningfully inhibited E. coli cell viability. The antimicrobial efficiencies of V₂GeC MAX phase-coated PES membranes were also performed. The high surface area and enhanced hydrophilicity of V₂GeC MAX increase water permeability in PES membranes. This improves efficiency in water purification processes like reverse osmosis desalination, enabling higher flow rates at lower operating pressures and thereby reducing energy consumption. In addition, owing to their anti-fouling properties, PES/V₂GeC composite membranes can provide longer-term use, reducing maintenance and cleaning operations.