High-flux and anti-fouling membrane distillation membrane with VOC capture ability enabled by ZIF-8

Seawater desalination and wastewater purification from brackish water, shale gas extraction, and industrial processes remain vital but challenging. Membrane distillation offers a promising solution yet struggles with low flux, membrane fouling, and the permeation of volatile organic compounds alongside water vapor. Here, we introduce an omniphobic ZIF-8 composite membrane that traps volatile organic compounds under vacuum through crystal phase transitions and enhances water evaporation via linkage swing within hydrophobic micropores. This membrane, with a 92% ZIF-8 loading, fabricated through thermally induced phase separation, hot-pressing, and surface coating, can process over 38,000 L of water with 10 ppm contaminants per square meter without needing reactivation. Achieving a normalized flux of 71.8 L m-2 h-1 bar-1, it outperforms conventional membranes by fivefold in treating 10.5 wt% saline water, while maintaining excellent cyclic stability over 900 h and high anti-fouling properties. This work presents an effective approach for sustainable water purification.