Janus membranes for membrane distillation: Recent advances and challenges

Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising hybrid thermal-membrane separation technology that can efficiently produce freshwater from seawater or contaminated wastewater. However, the relatively low flux and the presence of fouling or wetting agents in feed solution negate the applicability of MD for long term operation. In recent years, 'two-faced' membranes or Janus membranes have shown promising potential to decrease wetting and fouling problem of common MD system as well as enhance the flux performance. In this review, a comprehensive study was performed to investigate the various fabrication, modification, and novel design processes to prepare Janus membranes and discuss their performance in desalination and wastewater treatment utilizing MD. The promising potential, challenges and future prospects relating to the design and use of Janus membranes for MD are also tackled in this review. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising technology for producing freshwater from seawater or wastewater, but faces challenges such as low flux and fouling. Recently, Janus membranes have shown potential to address these issues and improve performance in desalination and wastewater treatment utilizing MD.