Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Nanotechnology, Cairo University, El-Sheikh Zayed, 12588, Giza, Egypt
2
PVT Lab., Production Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), Cairo, (11727), Egypt, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Nanotechnology, Cairo University, El-Sheikh Zayed, 12588, Giza, Egypt
3
Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Nanotechnology, Cairo University, El-Sheikh Zayed, 12588, Giza, Egypt
Abstract
Desalination has emerged as a crucial solution to the growing demand for water, particularly in water-stressed nations where desalination produces significantly more water than freshwater supplies. This study investigates the synthesis and characterization of novel metal-doped silica nanocomposite polysulfone (PSU) membranes to enhance desalination performance. Green synthesis of PSU-Silica-Titanium and PSU-Silica-Zinc membranes using citrus peel extract was performed. The membranes were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential measurements, SEM-EDX, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Antimicrobial tests and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) techniques were employed to evaluate their performance and salt rejection. The existence of titanium and zinc oxide was confirmed by XRD, which showed a broad peak suggesting the amorphous nature of PSU. Raman spectroscopy showed that the PSU structure was maintained. BET analysis revealed that the Si-Ti membrane had a larger pore volume and a lower surface area (0.10564 m²/g) than the Si-Zn membrane (0.03283 m²/g). DLS indicated a smaller particle size for Si-Ti compared to Si-Zn. SEM-EDX results suggested more aggregation in the Si-Zn nanocomposite. PSU-Si-Ti nanoparticles were spherical (20–50 nm) in TEM pictures, while PSU-Si-Zn nanoparticles were irregular (30–80 nm). PSU-Si-Ti had superior antimicrobial activity. The PSU-Si-Ti membrane demonstrated a good mix between stability (-0.53 Hz/min change) and salt rejection (1.02 μg/cm² adsorption), according to QCM research. Despite certain improvements, the PSU-Si-Zn membrane might have long-term challenges. To sum up, both membranes exhibited high salt adsorption capacities, indicating potential for specific ion removal, but may require further optimization for broader desalination applications.
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