Electrically Conductive Silver‐Polyaniline Core‐Shell Nanoparticle Composite Membranes for Enhanced Water Filtration and Biofouling Mitigation

Herein, PANI@Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized for the first time via in situ polymerization of Ag NPs for improving conductivity of polyaniline (PANI) mainly to make it suitable as ECM. The DFT calculations confirmed the establishment of a conductive network via PANI and Ag. PANI@Ag NPs were embedded in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes by non‐solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) to produce electrically conductive membranes (ECMs). The ECMs showed enhanced electrical conductivity, water flux (32–68 L/hm 2 ), and BSA rejection (75%–90%). To modulate biofouling, a voltage of 1.5 V was applied to boost flux and anti‐fouling performance. In tensile strength, the ECMs also remained stable at a 228% increase. These results indicate PANI@Ag NPs as promising nanofillers for the fabrication of novel, sustainable water filtration membranes with in‐built conductivity and anti‐fouling properties.