Catalytic chitosan/MXene/GO nanocomposite membrane for removing dye and heavy metals

This work reported the preparation of a catalytic nanocomposite nanofiltration (NF) membrane and its performance in removing dye and heavy metals without requiring UV irradiation. Two-dimensional (2D) materials MXene and graphene oxide (GO) were employed in developing chitosan-based catalytic nanocomposite membranes for the removal of dye molecules and heavy metals from textile industry wastewater. The incorporated MXene catalytically decomposed the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), which oxidize methylene blue (MB) and reduce cobalt (Co²⁺) and copper (Cu²⁺) ions. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and fluorescence emission spectroscopy confirmed the generation of superoxide radicals (^•O₂⁻). The fabricated chitosan/MXene/GO (CMG) membrane in this research exhibited high removal efficiencies of 96 %, 78 % and 76 % for dye, cobalt ions and copper ions, which were 4, 3.9 and 4 times higher than that of neat membrane, respectively. Similar results of 95 % were also observed in total organic matter (TOC) removal for both concentrations of dye. The CMG membrane also showed superior organic fouling resistance. The findings provided a new insight for non-UV dependent catalytic nanocomposite NF to efficiently remove hazardous contaminants such as dye and heavy metals from industrial effluent.