Overcoming challenges in water purification by nanocomposite ceramic membranes: A review of limitations and technical solutions

Water purification from various sources is crucial in mitigating global water shortage and ensuring universal access to clean and safe drinking water. Incorporation of nanoparticles, such as titania (TiO2) or zirconia (ZrO2) into/onto ceramic membranes (nanocomposite ceramic membranes) is a promising modified version of conventional ceramic membranes and has emerged as a highly viable solution for enhancing water purification processes due to their outstanding properties in improving membrane properties compared to conventional ceramic membranes. However, nanocomposite ceramic membranes encounter significant obstacles, including poor dispersion of nanoparticles within the membrane matrix, the potential for nanoparticle leaching during the purification process, and the accumulation of fouling agents. Despite the limited number of reviews on nanocomposite ceramic membranes in water purification applications, the uniqueness of this review is addressing these limitations and examines recent technical solutions, developments, and strategies to overcome these challenges and enhance their performance. By effectively addressing these limitations through improved nanoparticle dispersion and attachment in the membrane matrix and enhanced fouling resistance properties, cutting-edge strategies can be developed to optimize nanocomposite ceramic membranes and significantly improve their performance across various water purification applications. This review also discusses the research outlook of incorporating nanomaterials with ceramic membranes, modification techniques and the effect of nanomaterials on ceramic membrane properties. Although recent advancements in nanocomposite ceramic membranes for water purification, significant limitations persist. Therefore, this review also highlights the future research direction to enhance the properties and performance of nanocomposite ceramic membranes in water purification applications.