Antibiofouling Thin‐Film Nanocomposite Membranes for Sustainable Water Purification

Membrane technology provides a reliable and powerful solution to combat the global water crisis by producing fresh water through sustainable desalination. However, the decline in system performance due to membrane biofouling is a limitation and significant efforts have been made to explore fouling control mechanisms and develop simple methods to inhibit or eliminate membrane fouling. Nanotechnology has increased the number of options for the development of antibiofouling membranes by incorporating nanoparticles within the polyamide layer to produce a thin‐film nanocomposite (TFN) structure. This review presents recent advances in the preparation of antifouling TFN membranes and incorporation of different nanoparticles into the design. The review also discusses the strategies and mechanisms for reducing membrane fouling and proposes a future outlook for the field. Membrane technology offers a reliable and powerful solution for combatting the global water crisis and producing fresh water through sustainable desalination. This review summarizes recent advances in the incorporation of different nanoparticles into the design and preparation of antibiofouling thin‐film nanocomposite membranes.