Thin-film composite membrane improved by modified structure rearrangement process (mSRP) for rapidly aqueous and solvents separation

This study aims to develop an advanced organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membrane by incorporating an adamantane-amide active layer through a modified structure rearrangement process (mSRP) combined with host-guest interactions. The membrane was fabricated by treating a commercial reverse osmosis (RO) membrane with solutions containing polysaccharides and adamantane monomers, obtaining significantly enhanced separation performance. The modified membrane exhibited a “mesh-like” morphology and increased surface roughness which contributed to substantially higher permeability and retention rates compared to those of pristine RO membrane. Specifically, the optimal membrane attained a permeability of 9.3 L m⁻² h⁻¹·bar⁻¹, representing an increase by 111.4 % relative to the pristine membrane, while maintaining a rejection rate of 94.0 % for the commonly used erythromycin antibiotic. The rearrangement behavior and mechanism of the host-guest interactions were investigated using density functional calculations. Long-term operational tests confirmed the stability of the membrane and its potential for industrial applications. This study introduced a novel approach for upgrading commercial RO membranes for efficient OSN applications, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable separation technologies in the biomedical sector.