Hierarchically structured silica-reinforced PLA nanofibrous membranes with enhanced anti-wetting and mechanical stability for air-gap membrane distillation
4 affiliations
- 1Center of Excellence for Research in Engineering Materials (CEREM), Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR), King Saud University, Riyadh11421, Saudi Arabia
- 2Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
- 3Biomedical Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh12372, Saudi Arabia
- 4Research Institute for Green Energy Convergence Technology, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju52828, Republic of Korea
Abstract
This study presents a hierarchically structured biodegradable superhydrophobic polylactic acid (PLA)/fumed silica (FS) nanofibrous membrane for anti-wetting air-gap membrane distillation (AGMD). Unlike biodegradable membrane studies that primarily rely on post-fabrication surface modification, hydrophobic FS nanoparticles were directly incorporated into the PLA spinning solution through a one-step electrospinning process, enabling intrinsic control of fiber morphology, pore structure, surface roughness, and wettability throughout the membrane matrix. Subsequent post-heat treatment reinforced inter-fiber bonding while preserving the porous architecture for vapor transport. FS incorporation reduced fiber diameter from 810 to 627 nm and pore size from 1.37 to 0.70 µm, promoting a rough surface favoring the Cassie–Baxter wetting state. The optimized membrane (S4, 7 wt% FS) exhibited a water contact angle of 154°, liquid entry pressure of 38 kPa, elastic modulus of 166 MPa, and enhanced thermal stability with an onset degradation temperature of 330 °C. Through comprehensive characterization techniques such as FE-SEM, AFM, gloss analysis, air permeability, nanoindentation, and mechanical testing, significant enhancements in membrane integrity and anti-wetting properties were observed. Nanoindentation results indicated improvements in both hardness and modulus compared to the original PLA membranes. During AGMD desalination, the optimized membrane consistently achieved a permeate flux of 3.1 kg/m2 h, with salt rejection rates surpassing 99 % for a 3.5 wt% NaCl feed solution. The enhanced performance was attributed to synergistic effects of hierarchical roughness, pore regulation, mechanical reinforcement, and improved wetting resistance. These findings demonstrate a sustainable strategy for developing high-performance biodegradable membranes as alternatives to petroleum-derived MD materials.
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BibTeX
@article{omer2026hierarchically,
title = {{Hierarchically structured silica-reinforced PLA nanofibrous membranes with enhanced anti-wetting and mechanical stability for air-gap membrane distillation}},
author = {Aijaz Muhammad Omer and Abdus Samad Ubair and Dzarfan Othman Mohd Hafiz and Alnaser Ibrahim Abdullah and Khan Asmat Ullah and Assaifan Abdulaziz K. and Yang Seong Baek and Karim Mohammad Rezaul},
journal = {Nanotechnology Reviews},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1515/ntrev-2025-0390},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1515/ntrev-2025-0390},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Hierarchically structured silica-reinforced PLA nanofibrous membranes with enhanced anti-wetting and mechanical stability for air-gap membrane distillation
AU - Aijaz Muhammad Omer
AU - Abdus Samad Ubair
AU - Dzarfan Othman Mohd Hafiz
AU - Alnaser Ibrahim Abdullah
AU - Khan Asmat Ullah
AU - Assaifan Abdulaziz K.
AU - Yang Seong Baek
AU - Karim Mohammad Rezaul
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Nanotechnology Reviews
DO - 10.1515/ntrev-2025-0390
UR - https://doi.org/10.1515/ntrev-2025-0390
AB - This study presents a hierarchically structured biodegradable superhydrophobic polylactic acid (PLA)/fumed silica (FS) nanofibrous membrane for anti-wetting air-gap membrane distillation (AGMD). Unlike biodegradable membrane studies that primarily rely on post-fabrication surface modification, hydrophobic FS nanoparticles were directly incorporated into the PLA spinning solution through a one-step electrospinning process, enabling intrinsic control of fiber morphology, pore structure, surface roughness, and wettability throughout the membrane matrix. Subsequent post-heat treatment reinforced inter-fiber bonding while preserving the porous architecture for vapor transport. FS incorporation reduced fiber diameter from 810 to 627 nm and pore size from 1.37 to 0.70 µm, promoting a rough surface favoring the Cassie–Baxter wetting state. The optimized membrane (S4, 7 wt% FS) exhibited a water contact angle of 154°, liquid entry pressure of 38 kPa, elastic modulus of 166 MPa, and enhanced thermal stability with an onset degradation temperature of 330 °C. Through comprehensive characterization techniques such as FE-SEM, AFM, gloss analysis, air permeability, nanoindentation, and mechanical testing, significant enhancements in membrane integrity and anti-wetting properties were observed. Nanoindentation results indicated improvements in both hardness and modulus compared to the original PLA membranes. During AGMD desalination, the optimized membrane consistently achieved a permeate flux of 3.1 kg/m2 h, with salt rejection rates surpassing 99 % for a 3.5 wt% NaCl feed solution. The enhanced performance was attributed to synergistic effects of hierarchical roughness, pore regulation, mechanical reinforcement, and improved wetting resistance. These findings demonstrate a sustainable strategy for developing high-performance biodegradable membranes as alternatives to petroleum-derived MD materials.
SN - 2191-9097
SN - 2191-9089
ER -