Self-Locked and Self-Cleaning Membranes for Efficient Removal of Insoluble and Soluble Organic Pollutants from Water

A feasible
and efficient membrane for long-term treatment of complex
oily wastewater is especially in demand, but its development still
remains a challenge because of serious membrane fouling and incomplete/destructive
reclamation methods. Herein, an interpenetrating TiO2 nanorod-decorated
membrane with self-locked and self-cleaning properties is rationally
fabricated via coaxial electrospinning and hydrothermal
synthesis. The self-locked membrane shows full reinstatement of the
original state and exhibits satisfactory mechanical strength, superhydrophilicity,
underwater superoleophobicity, and robust solvent resistance, which
endow the membrane with successful separation for 16 types of highly
emulsified oil-in-water emulsions (e.g., surfactant-free;
anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactant-stabilized). Moreover,
successful sequencing treatment of soluble organic emulsions using
the separated “bait–hook–destroy” strategy
indicates that the pristine membrane can be used to treat multipollutant
wastewater with various limits. Most importantly, the fouled membrane
can easily be reinstated by light irradiation without reduction of
both mechanical strength and separation performance. As a proof of
concept, the as-synthesized membrane shows an ultrahigh flux over
5000 L m–2 h–1 with a removal
efficiency of >99.92%. The present development would provide a
highly
efficient strategy for the fabrication of an inorganic–organic
revivable electrospinning membrane for various applications.