The impacts of iron oxide nanoparticles on membrane properties forwater and wastewater applications: A review

The sustainability of clean water supply remains as one of the grand crises faced by today’s world. The rapid expansion of membrane technology has opened up the opportunities for its applications in the sector of water and wastewater treatment. However, the commercial polymeric membranes are suffered from low degree of hydrophilicity and prone to different types of surface fouling. The incorporation of inorganic nanomaterials as nanofillers within polymeric matrix to produce nanocomposite membranes has received enormous attention because of its ability to resolve underlying issues encountered by conventional polymeric membranes. Among various nanoparticles, iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles have sparked great interest in the fabrication of nanocomposite membranes owing to its intrinsic properties that could improve not only the membrane surface hydrophilicity and antifouling properties but also its removal rates against pollutants via sieving and/or adsorption mechanisms. This review aims to provide insights on the recent advances of Fe3O4-modified microporous membranes for both water and wastewater treatment. Novel strategies such as surface functionalization and nanohybridization of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and its impacts on membrane physicochemical properties and separation performances have been explored and critically reviewed. Finally, the technical challenges in utilizing Fe3O4-modified microporous membranes for potential applications in real operation are also discussed