Ultralow Ti3C2TX doping polysulfate membrane for high ultrafiltration performance

Incorporating hydrophilic nanomaterial fillers into a polymeric matrix enables a high-performance ultrafiltration membrane. 2D Ti3C2TX nanosheets are promising candidates due to their hydrophilic nature and good dispersion ability in the organic solvent. In this study, novel polysulfate (PSE)/Ti3C2TX ultrafiltration membranes were prepared by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. The phase inversion process of the PSE/Ti3C2TX casting membranes was visualized. Ti3C2TX nanosheets could tune the phase inversion process effectively and promote the phase inversion speed with an ultralow content of 0.05 wt%. As a result, the hydrophilic property and porosity of PSE/Ti3C2TX membrane could be improved. The skin layer thickness was significantly reduced, resulting in saliently ultrafiltration performance, i.e., a pure water flux (PWF) of 685 L*m−2*h−1 (LMH) with a bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection of 97%. The proposed ultralow Ti3C2TX doping in the casting solutions method offers a versatile platform to manipulate the phase inversion progress during the industrially NIPS process, and enhanced the separation performance of ultrafiltration membranes. [Display omitted] •High-performance PSE/Ti3C2TX ultrafiltration membranes were prepared.•The Ti3C2TX nanosheets could effectively tailor the membrane structure.•A high flux of 685 LMH and rejection efficiency of 97% were achieved.•Excellent antifouling capability (a flux recovery rate of 90.09%) was realized.