Integrated adsorptive/reductive PEDOT:PSS-based composite membranes for efficient Ag(I) rejection

State-of-the-art polymeric membranes are faced with significant challenges of overcoming the permeability-rejection trade-off. Herein, the conjugated polymer PEDOT:PSS based multilayered polymer membranes are rationally constructed for silver-containing wastewater treatment. It is noteworthy that Ag(I) ions with hydrated diameters approximately two-fold smaller than the pore size can still be completely rejected while maintaining preferable permeability, and the interception performance of PEDOT:PSS/[email protected] composite membranes remains at 95% after three cycles. Encouragingly, the formation of metallic silver on the membrane is observed during ultrafiltration, where the S binding sites in the thiophene ring and the covalent O in the dioxane ring of PEDOT come into being a synergistic effect on the adsorption and reduction of Ag(I), benefiting for the enhanced rejection performance as well as desirable anti-fouling properties. The integrated adsorptive/reductive polymeric membrane exhibits exceptional potential as a suitable candidate for the next generation wastewater treatment and resource recovery.