Bio-inspired surface engineered multilayer Janus membrane for efficient desalination of highly saline water in membrane distillation
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Membrane distillation (MD) faces critical challenges at the industrial scale, including poor permeate flux and membrane fouling. To address these issues and efficiently treat highly saline water, this study presents a nature-inspired approach to fabricating a robust multilayer Janus membrane using a gecko-inspired adhesion mechanism. The proposed membrane was fabricated using a layer-by-layer co-deposition method, combining a surface-roughened PVDF flat-sheet membrane prepared via phase inversion with an electrosprayed hydrophobic PVDF-HFP interfacial layer modified with CuO nanoparticles and an electrospun hydrophilic PEI fiber bottom layer. The hydrophobic top layer exhibited a water contact angle of 131.5°, followed by a superhydrophobic interfacial layer and the bottom/support layer with a contact angle of 41.4°, enabling superior directional wettability. The Janus membrane achieved an impressive water gap membrane distillation (WGMD) flux of 37.16 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ with a high salt rejection rate of 99.99% over 24 h. Furthermore, the membrane demonstrated long-term stability and excellent resistance to fouling and delamination in harsh saline environments, maintaining performance over 60 h of continuous MD operation. This work highlights the potential of bio-inspired engineering in developing efficient and durable membranes, offering a promising pathway for advancing MD technology for industrial-scale desalination.
Source: npj Clean Water
Institution: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
Language: English
Subfield: Water Science and Technology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,890
OpenAlex ID: W4412043295