Self assembled PP membrane with photocatalytic self-cleaning performance for efficient oil/water emulsion separation

In this study, a super-hydrophobic self-cleaning fluorinated Zr-MOF nano-hybrid membrane (TF-DUT-52/PP) was developed by in-situ growth of modified MOF onto polypropylene membrane. DUT-52 is a new zirconium-based MOF with face-centered cubic topology and bearing stiffness. The hydrophobic group—trifluoroacetamide group is introduced into its monomer, which makes the final prepared membrane have excellent high porosity, durability and superhydrophobicity, and is an attractive oil-water separation membrane. The separation efficiency of the membrane for three different oil-water emulsion is more than 98%, and the separation flux is also very high (more than 500 Lm-2h-1bar-1). In addition, due to the Zr metal on the TF-DUT-52 node on the membrane surface, the membrane has good photocatalytic self-cleaning performance. Under ultraviolet light irradiation, it has high photocatalytic activity for organic pollutants on the membrane surface (the degradation efficiency is more than 85%). Therefore, in the foreseeable future, TF-DUT-52/PP membrane, as an anti-fouling membrane of a new generation of super hydrophobic/super lipophilic materials, has high throughput and stability, and provides a new idea for the removal of oily wastewater.