Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/Ag@TiO2 nanocomposite membrane with enhanced fouling resistance and antibacterial performance

Highlights: • Nanocomposite membranes were prepared by entrapping of Ag@TiO₂ nanoparticle within PVDF. • The resultant membrane exhibited significantly improved hydrophilicity and water permeability. • PVDF/AgAg@TiO₂ membrane has excellent antibacterial and antifouling properties. • Good self-cleaning performance of the membranes confirmed from flux recovery ratio. A novel Polyvinylidene fluoride/Ag decorated TiO₂ (PVDF/Ag@TiO₂) nanocomposite membrane was successfully prepared using APTES as a crosslinker via phase inversion technique. Synthesized Ag@TiO₂ was characterized by Raman spectroscopy and XRD. Nanocomposite membranes were characterized by FTIR, SEM, AFM. Flux performance and flux recovery ratio of PVDF/Ag@TiO₂ membranes revealed that the PVDF/Ag@TiO₂ nanocomposite membrane exhibited a pure water flux up to 465.8 Lm⁻²h⁻¹ which is three-fold higher than virgin membrane and a higher BSA rejection of 93.7% after rinsing with DI water followed by UV irradiation. Also, PVDF/Ag@TiO₂ nanocomposite membrane shows a faster removal of E. coli. Overall, the incorporation of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix enhanced the antifouling and antibacterial properties of the nanocomposite membrane to a remarkable extent.