Membrane technology is a highly efficient, cost-effective, and chemical-free process, leading to its widespread application across various fields. However, the high capital cost of traditional ceramic benchmarks remains a barrier. This study addresses this challenge by engineering a low-cost, waste-derived geopolymeric membrane functionalized with a silver molybdate (Ag2MoO4) catalytic coating for the removal of trimethoprim (TMP), a persistent emerging contaminant. Systematic filtration assays for the removal of TMP (100 mg·L−1, pH 4) revealed the role of the Ag2MoO4 layer as a performance intensifier, yielding a 26% increase in initial permeate flux and a 33% improvement in the selectivity compared to the pristine support, while maintaining robust rejection efficiency. Comprehensive characterization attributes these enhancements to synergistic effects between increased surface hydrophilicity and favorable solute–catalyst interfacial interactions. Furthermore, a fouling analysis using Hermia’s models indicated the simultaneous operation of multiple blocking mechanisms, a phenomenon linked to the non-uniform nature of the coating and subsequent formation of preferential flow paths. Overall, the incorporation of the silver molybdate coating effectively improved the membrane’s flux performance and selectivity. These findings demonstrate that integrating catalytic coatings onto waste-based geopolymer frameworks provides a scalable, circular-economy-aligned strategy for advanced wastewater treatment, balancing high-flux performance with the efficient removal of recalcitrant pharmaceuticals.
Rocca et al. (Sun,) studied this question.