Ultra-permeable polyamide nanofiltration membrane modified by hydrophilic-hydrophobic alternated lignocellulosic nanofibrils for efficient water reuse

Polyamide nanofiltration (NF) membranes are instrumental in water reuse due to their capability to efficiently remove trace organic contaminants (TrOCs), which pose potential health risks. However, while the current NF membranes offer acceptable TrOC rejection, their water permeance, which is highly related to the process energy consumption in water reuse, is relatively low. To address this limitation, we introduced a novel NF membrane by incorporating a lignocellulosic nanofibril interlayer—specifically, nanowires with alternating hydrophilic-hydrophobic regions (denoted as HONW). The resultant NF membrane achieved remarkable water permeance (52.4 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) while still ensuring high TrOC retention (including endocrine-disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, and antibiotics). A detailed mechanistic investigation revealed that the eliminated funnel effect or introduced gutter effect induced by the HONW interlayer, improved polyamide layer structure characterized by lower cross-linking degree and higher surface wettability, and reduced interlayer resistance (due to a unique water transport pattern: hydrophilic regions absorbed water molecules while hydrophobic regions strengthened water penetration) were significantly responsible for the enhanced membrane permeance. Moreover, the membrane also demonstrated low specific energy consumption as well as outstanding stability. This investigation unveils an appealing approach for constructing the ultra-permeable NF membrane for efficient water reuse. [Display omitted] •A lignocellulosic nanofibril-modified ultra-permeable NF membrane was constructed.•The roles of hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions in the interlayer were elucidated.•The ultra-permeable NF membrane showed unprecedently high water permeance.•The ultra-permeable NF membrane showed high removal of trace organic contaminants.•The ultra-permeable NF membrane had low specific energy consumption in water reuse.