Synergistic engineering of PES nanocomposite membranes via Bi2WO6/TiO2 nanowire heterojunctions for advanced wastewater treatment

In order to remediate wastewater contaminated with Eriochrome Black T (EBT) dye, this work explores the integration of titanium dioxide-loaded bismuth tungstate (Bi2WO6/TiO2 NWs) into polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration membranes. To increase permeability and antifouling performance, nanoparticles were incorporated into the PES matrix using the phase-inversion technique. The modified membranes showed a 20% increase in overall porosity compared with virgin PES membranes, suggesting improved pore formation and structural development. The inclusion of Bi2WO6/TiO2 NWs significantly reduced the water contact angle from around 70° for the neat membrane to approximately 36°, as demonstrated by surface wettability study, indicating increased hydrophilicity. The pure water flux increased by about 82% as a result of this improvement. Crucially, selectivity was unaffected by the increased permeability since EBT rejection stayed at roughly 98%. With the flux recovery ratio rising from 60% for the pristine membrane to over 98% for the modified membrane, antifouling performance significantly improved, suggesting less foulant adsorption and simpler cleaning. Additionally, the impacts of operating pressure and feed dye concentration were assessed. Overall, adding Bi2WO6/TiO2 NWs to PES membranes successfully improves permeability, hydrophilicity, and antifouling qualities while preserving excellent dye rejection, showing great promise for treating wastewater contaminated with dyes.