Immobilization techniques of a photocatalyst into and onto a polymer membrane for photocatalytic activity

Abstract

This article reviews the various techniques of immobilizing a photocatalyst into and onto the polymer membrane for pollutant removal and as a problem solver in handling suspended photocatalyst issues from the previous literature. A particular focus is given to the preparation of mixed matrix membranes and deposition techniques for photocatalytic degradation in applications for wastewater treatment. Advantages and disadvantages in this application are evaluated. Various operating conditions during the process are presented. About 90 recently published studies (2008–2020) are reviewed. From the literature, it was found that TiO₂ is the most favoured photocatalyst that is frequently used in photocatalytic water treatment. Dry–wet co-spinning and sputtering techniques emerged as the promising technique for immobilizing a uniformly distributed photocatalyst within the polymeric membrane, and exhibited excellence pollutant removal. In general, the technical applicability is the key factor in selecting the best photocatalyst immobilizing technique for water treatment. Finally, the scope of various techniques that have been reviewed may provide potential for future photocatalytic study.