A photoactive gel has been fabricated on the surface of polyethylene membranes for enhancing the fouling resistance during olive mill wastewater treatment. Light and pH responsive materials have been introduced in the membrane surface through the build up of a layer-by-layer pattern, which is formed by photocatalytic nanoparticles and ionic polyelectrolytes. The best working conditions to contrast foulants adsorption have been explored and identified. Repulsive interfacial forces and assisted transfer of foulants to catalytic sites have been envisaged as crucial factors for contrasting the decline of the flux during microfiltration. Tests in submerged configuration have been implemented for six continuous hours under irradiation at two different pH conditions. As a result, a worthy efficiency of the photoactive gel has been reached when suitable chemical microenvironments have been generated along the shell side of the membranes. No additional chemical reagents or expensive back-flushing procedures have been necessary to further clean the membranes; rather, fast and reversible pH switches have been enough to remove residues, thereby preserving the integrity of the layer-by-layer (LBL) complex onto the membrane surface.
Keywords: layer-by-layer; self-cleaning; submerged microfiltration; titanium oxide nanoparticles; water treatment.