In this study, the characteristics of different types of nanosheet membranes were reviewed in order to determine which possessed the optimum propensity for antifouling during water purification. Despite the tremendous amount of attention that nanosheets have received in recent years, their use to render membranes that are resistant to fouling has seldom been investigated. This work is the first to summarize the abilities of nanosheet membranes to alleviate the effect of organic and inorganic foulants during water treatment. In contrast to other publications, single nanosheets, or in combination with other nanomaterials, were considered to be nanostructures. Herein, a broad range of materials beyond graphene-based nanomaterials is discussed. The types of nanohybrid membranes considered in the present work include conventional mixed matrix membranes, stacked membranes, and thin-film nanocomposite membranes. These membranes combine the benefits of both inorganic and organic materials, and their respective drawbacks are addressed herein. The antifouling strategies of nanohybrid membranes were divided into passive and active categories. Nanosheets were employed in order to induce fouling resistance via increased hydrophilicity and photocatalysis. The antifouling properties that are displayed by two-dimensional (2D) nanocomposite membranes also are examined.
Keywords: antifouling; mixed matrix membrane; nanosheet; photocatalysis; stacked membrane; water purification.