Photocatalysis-membrane integrated system for organic pollutants removal

Separation membranes based on two-dimensional (2D) materials offer great potential in water remediation due to their inherent lamellar structure. However, they are limited by membrane fouling when dealing with organic pollutants, resulting in unsatisfactory sustainability and reusability. Herein, a photocatalysis-membrane integrated system was fabricated by barium titanate (BTO) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) modified MXene, which achieves the integration of separation-adsorption-degradation processes for the removal of organic pollutants. It was found that BTO could be embedded in MXene/β-CD matrices by vacuum filtration strategy, providing photocatalytic activity for MXene/β-CD/BTO (MCB) membrane. Moreover, the membrane showed favorable efficiency and sustainability in cationic dyes removal, approaching 100% even after 10 consecutive cycles. This photocatalysis-membrane system provided a valuable insight into improving efficiency and reusability in water treatment. • MCB membrane achieves the integration of separation-adsorption-degradation processes. • The degradation rates of MCB membrane for RhB, EB, MB and MO are 65.9%, 66.7%, 72.1% and 24.8%, respectively. • Retention rates of MCB membrane for RhB and MB are 100% after 10 consecutive cycles.