Polydopamine-Enhanced 2D TiO 2 Membranes for Excellent Antifouling and Surfactant-Stabilized Emulsion Separation

作者：Balqees Alrwaily, Banin Alzawad, Kawthar Alqudaihi, Ali Sufyan, Muhammad Bilal Asif, J. Andreas Larsson, Nadeem Baig, Mohamed Ateia · 发表于：ACS Applied Engineering Materials · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1021/acsaenm.5c00460 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Polymer Surface Interaction Studies、Pickering emulsions and particle stabilization、Membrane Separation Technologies

Efficient separation of surfactant-stabilized oil–water emulsions remains a significant challenge because traditional membranes often fail due to poor fouling resistance. Herein, we unveil a crystalline two-dimensional (2D) TiO 2 membrane, strengthened by a bioinspired polydopamine (PDA) coating. This innovative design delivers extraordinary hydrophilicity, achieving a remarkable 99% rejection efficiency for surfactant-stabilized emulsions at an exceptional pure water flux of 1355 L m –2 h –1 . The dynamic synergy between 2D TiO 2 and PDA yields a water-permeable layer that accelerates water spreading, conferring superoleophobicity with an underwater oil contact angle exceeding 150°. This interaction significantly enhances antifouling performance, achieving a flux recovery of up to 98% after 10 cycles. The PDA@2D TiO 2 membrane sustains high separation efficiency across a wide pH range (2.5–10) and feed concentrations (200–600 ppm). This bioinspired and scalable approach holds promise for developing antifouling 2D TiO 2 membranes by offering an innovative solution for complex emulsion separations with applications in produced water treatment and greywater purification.