Biomimetic hydrophobic membrane: A review of anti-wetting properties as a potential factor in membrane development for membrane distillation (MD)

[Display omitted] The development of superhydrophobic membranes had inspired by superhydrophobic surfaces of biomimetic nature. Among the superhydrophobic nature surface, ‘lotus effect’ with a contact angle of 150° has been widely explored for membrane distillation. In a recent development, membrane distillation highlighting the new interest of different separation approaches such as removal of metals, antibiotics, and ammonia from wastewater. This development has attracted researchers to produce a desired superhydrophobic membrane with excellent anti-wetting properties to ensure the efficiency of the membrane distillation process. In this review, the authors emphasize a few studies from various researchers regarding the superhydrophobic membrane surfaces by the different approaches of materials, methods, and membrane configurations in achieving desired anti-wetting properties. The literature showed that the incorporation of the modified nanoparticle by fluoroalkyl silane (FAS) and electrospinning membrane configuration has high potential properties to produce a novel anti-wetting membrane for a unique requirement of the membrane distillation process. Factors of the significant improvement in membrane performances have also proposed for large-scale demand. The versatility of the desired anti-wetting membrane has proved to use in the vast areas of applications.