Photocatalytic bio‐inspired PDA‐RGO/g‐C3N4 nanocomposite incorporated PES membrane for removal of environmental antibiotic pollutants

Abstract BACKGROUND Membrane technology makes it more suitable for the treatment of environmental polluted organic wastewater. Membrane fouling is one of the major concerns in commercial membranes. To overcome this issue, photocatalytic nanomaterials are embedded into the membrane to enhance its surface nature and reusability. In this investigation, polydopamine functionalized graphene oxide (PDA‐RGO), graphite carbon nitride (g‐C 3 N 4 ) and PDA‐RGO/g‐C 3 N 4 nanomaterials were incorporated within polyethersulfone membrane fabricated via a phase inversion technique. These as‐prepared membranes’ functional groups and surface morphologies were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission electron microscopy (FESEM). These as‐prepared membranes were investigated for photocatalytic activity under visible‐light‐driven photodegradation by environmental pollutants such as Rhodamine B (RhB) and Norfloxacin (NOR). RESULTS Compared with pristine PES membrane, the PDA‐RGO/g‐C 3 N 4 ‐PES nanocomposite membrane showed higher photocatalytic activity for Rhodamine B 94.6% and Norfloxacin 96.8%, also reached greater water flux 189 L m −2 h −1 . Therefore, the bio‐inspired nanocomposite‐modified PDA‐RGO/g‐C 3 N 4 photocatalytic membrane could have huge potential in processing environmentally polluted water. CONCLUSIONS PDA‐RGO/g‐C 3 N 4 ‐PES nanocomposite membrane improved the membrane hydrophilicity, water flow, anti‐fouling performance, rejection studies and photocatalytic degradation than the pristine membrane. The synergistic result of PDA‐RGO and g‐C 3 N 4 exhibits better photodegradation efficiency of the membrane towards environmental pollutants. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).