Photocatalytic membrane coated with α-Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 for enhanced filtration performance and antifouling property in surface water treatment.

A photocatalytic membrane coated with α-Fe ₂ O ₃ /Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles has been developed to address the challenges of membrane fouling and organic removal in the treatment of natural surface water. The photocatalytic and filtration properties of the membranes were investigated through a variety of methods. The successful preparation of iron oxide was confirmed by UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and X-ray diffractometry, with α-Fe ₂ O ₃ identified as the primary photocatalytic agent. A commercial ultrafiltration (UF) membrane was employed as a comparison to evaluate the photocatalytic performance and filtration properties of the modified membrane. Results showed that the photocatalytic membrane achieved better removal rates for UV ₂₅₄ (22.0%) and specific fluorescent organic compounds, such as component 2 (19.38%) and component 3 (16.89%), compared to the control group. Furthermore, both irreversible and reversible fouling resistances of the prepared membranes were significantly lower than that of the control group, with reductions of 39.4% and 50.2%, respectively. The membrane coated with α-Fe ₂ O ₃ /Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles exhibited moderate removal of protein-like and terrestrially derived humic-like fluorescent organics while controlling membrane fouling. Although the α-Fe ₂ O ₃ /Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles-coated photocatalytic membrane demonstrated good anti-fouling properties, the removals of organic matters were not as effective as anticipated due to the shorter hydraulic retention time. This study provides valuable insights for enhancing pollutant degradation and anti-fouling properties of membranes through the utilization of solar photocatalytic α-Fe ₂ O ₃ /Fe ₃ O ₄ surface-modified membranes in the treatment of natural surface water.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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