Novel Polyether Sulfone Membranes Modified with Sunflower Seed Shell-derived Activated Carbon and Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks for Antibiotic Removal

This study presents a new type of nanofiltration membrane that has been enhanced using activated carbon derived from sunflower seed shells and zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. The activated carbon was derived from sunflower seed shells and modified using zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. The nanofiltration membranes, which contained these modified nanoparticles, were synthesized using the phase-inversion method. The morphology and structure of the nanoparticles and membranes were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The hydrophilicity of the membranes was evaluated by measuring pure water flux and water contact angle. The results indicate that the addition of nanoparticles significantly increased membrane hydrophilicity and improved pure water flux compared to conventional polyether sulfone membranes. Additionally, the efficiency of these membranes in removing contaminants such as tetracycline and rifampicin was investigated, demonstrating their superior contaminant removal capabilities.

Keywords:

polyether sulfone , mixed matrix membranes , activated carbon , zeolitic imidazolate frameworks