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. 2025 May 27;17(11):1493.
doi: 10.3390/polym17111493.

Preparation of Highly Antibacterial MXene Nanofiltration Membranes and Investigation of Their Separation Performance

Na Meng  1 , Jinxin Liu  1 , Jialing Mi  1 , Xuan Chen  2 , Rong Rong  1 , Junjie Hang  1 , Zihan Jiang  1
Affiliations

Preparation of Highly Antibacterial MXene Nanofiltration Membranes and Investigation of Their Separation Performance

Na Meng et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

In this study, polyethersulfone (PES)/sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES) composite nanofiltration membranes doped with different contents of monolayer titanium carbide nanosheets (Ti3C2TX) were prepared by the nonsolvent induced phase inversion (NIPS) method. The effects of Ti3C2TX on membrane structure, separation performance and antibacterial activity were investigated systematically. The results demonstrated that the viscosity of the casting solution increased significantly with the increasing content of Ti3C2TX. In addition, the pore size of the membrane surface first decreased and then increased; porosity and hydrophilicity were optimized synchronously; and the density of negative charges on the surface increased. The M2 membrane showed a rejection rate of more than 90% for Metanil yellow (MY) and methylene blue (MEB). The order of salt ion rejection rates was magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) > sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) > sodium chloride (NaCl), and water flux reached the peak (18.5 L/m2·h·bar). The antibacterial activity of the M2 membrane was significantly enhanced, and its antibacterial rate against Bacillus subtilis increased from 15% (M0) to 58%. This phenomenon was attributed to the synergistic mechanism of the Ti3C2TX physical capture effect, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and sharp edge damage to bacterial cell membranes. This study provides theoretical support and a technical path for the development of MXene composite membranes with high separation efficiency and excellent antibacterial properties.

Keywords: PES/SPES membrane; Ti3C2TX; antibacterial activity; blend membrane.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Viscosity of PES/SPES membranes doped with different contents of Ti3C2TX.
Figure 2
Figure 2
SEM surface images of M0–M3 at 1 nm (a1–a4); Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) diagrams of Ti for M0–M3 at 1 μm (b1–b4); cross-sectional diagrams of M0–M3 at 100 μm (c1–c4); cross-sectional diagrams of M0–M3 at 20 μm (d1–d4).
Figure 3
Figure 3
AFM images of M0–M3 (a). Roughness of M0–M3 (b).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Average pore diameter of M0–M3 (a); porosity of M0–M3 (b).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Water contact angle of M0–M3 (a); surface zeta potential of M0–M3 (b).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Line diagram of tensile strength and elongation at break of M0–M3 (a); histogram of tensile strength and elongation at break of M0–M3 (b).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Retention rates of M0–M3 for different dyes.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Pure water flux of M0 to M3 (a); salt ion rejection rates of M0 to M3 (b).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Flux recovery rates of M0–M3.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Bacterial inhibition of M0–M3 against Bacillus subtilis (a–e); control group without membrane (e); bacteriostatic rate of M0–M3 against Bacillus subtilis (f).
Figure 11
Figure 11
Mechanistic diagram of MXene antibacterial activity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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