Preparation of Tannic Acid-Pectin Coated PVDF Membrane for High-Efficiency Separation of Oil and Water Emulsions

The simple preparation of superhydrophilic membranes with good stability is of great significance for efficient oil–water separation. In this work, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane modified with tannic acid (TA) and pectin (PT) was developed through immersion in TA/PT solutions, facilitating the formation of complexes via co-deposition. The optimized PVDF@TA/PT3 membrane exhibited superhydrophilicity/superoleophobicity. The membrane achieved remarkable separation efficiencies exceeding 98.3% and fluxes ranging from 71.3 to 156.3 L m−2 h−1 for various oil–water emulsions under gravity-driven conditions. Notably, the membrane maintained exceptional durability through 10 separation cycles, retaining about 98% efficiency while exhibiting strong antifouling properties. Excellent separation performance coupled with facile fabrication protocol and chemical stability of the membrane, position the PVDF@TA/PT membrane as a technologically viable candidate for wastewater purification.