Membrane filtration has been widely used to purify water due to high energy-efficiency, small footprint, simplicity, and low cost. Yet the current membrane filtration technologies still have their limitations. For example, polymeric membranes are often fouled by suspended solids and dissolved organic matters, resulting in water flux decline, loss in rejection performance, and increased energy consumption. For microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes, heavy metals such as lead and mercury and other low molecular weight impurities are difficult to remove, which is a concern for drinking water safety.

The membrane material that we are working on could be more hydrophilic and less susceptible to membrane fouling, more importantly, can be chemically modified to remove heavy metals.