MXene-based composite forward osmosis (FO) membrane intercalated by halloysite nanotubes with superior water permeance and dye desalination performance

Effect of Polydopamine/Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Modified Halloysite on the Microstructure and Permeability of a Polyamide Forward Osmosis Membrane

Mine water cannot be directly consumed by trapped people when a mine collapses, so it is difficult for people to carry out emergency rescues to ensure their safety. Therefore, a water bag made of a forward osmosis (FO) membrane has been designed that can efficiently filter coal mine water to meet the urgent needs of emergency rescue. Before interfacial polymerization (IP), sodium-dodecyl-sulfate-modified halloysite (SDS-HNT) was added to an MPD aqueous solution to prepare an SDS-HNT polyamide active layer, and then the prepared membrane was placed into a polydopamine (PDA) solution formed by the self-polymerization of dopamine and a PDA/SDS-HNT composite film was prepared. The results showed that the original ridge-valley structure of the polyamide membrane was transformed to a rod-, circular-, and blade-like structure by the addition of SDS-HNTs. Subsequently, a dense PDA nanoparticle layer was formed on the modified membrane. The polyamide/polysulfone forward osmosis membrane modified by co-doping of PDA and SDS-HNTs displayed both the best water flux and rejection rate, confirming the synergistic effect of compound modification. Therefore, the high-performance permeability of the polyamide membrane modified by SDS-HNTs and PDA provides great convenience for the emergency filtration of coal mine water, and also has potential applications in wastewater treatment and seawater desalination.