Synergistic Enhancement of Reverse Osmosis Desalination Performance by ZnO/h-BN-OH Nanocomposite Membranes

Dafalla S. H. A., ŞAFAK BOROĞLU M., Boz I., KAHRAMAN M. V.

WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION, vol.237, no.2, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 237 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s11270-025-08726-0
  • Journal Name: WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, ABI/INFORM, Artic & Antarctic Regions, BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, EMBASE, Environment Index, Geobase, Greenfile
  • Istanbul University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study introduces a novel strategy to enhance reverse osmosis (RO) membrane performance by incorporating zinc oxide-hexagonal boron nitride (ZnO/h-BN-OH) hybrid nanoparticles into a polyamide thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) structure via interfacial polymerization. The ZnO/h-BN-OH hybrid nanoparticles was synthesized using a hydrothermal-assisted sol-gel approach, and its structural, morphological, and thermal characteristics were analyzed using XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, TGA, AFM, and BET techniques. Embedding ZnO/h-BN-OH into the PA layer improved membrane hydrophilicity, reducing the contact angle and boosting the water flux to 48.5 L/m2h at 0.015 wt.% loading-a significant enhancement compared to the pristine membrane (36.64 L/m2h). The modified membranes achieved an outstanding Na2SO4 rejection rate of 98.5% and exhibited excellent antifouling performance with a BSA rejection 99.6% at optimal loading. These results highlight the synergistic benefits of ZnO and h-BN integration, offering a promising route to overcome the permeability-selectivity trade-off and fouling challenges in TFN-RO membranes. This work provides a new framework for designing high-performance membranes for sustainable desalination applications.