Recent progress in the development of nanocomposite membranes

The membrane, which is a permselective barrier that allows some species to pass through it while retaining others, is the crucial component in a membrane separation process. Thus, the separation performances of the developed technology are significantly affected by the improvement of membrane materials and membrane design. Recent advances in membrane synthesis and fabrication techniques have led to the development of a novel membrane design with enhanced physical and chemical properties and improved separation efficiency. Moreover, coupling the membrane processes with advanced nanotechnology promises to resolve the challenges accompanying conventional separation and purification techniques. Nanoenabled composite membranes offer enhanced performance in terms of both permeability and selectivity and will lead to the development of commercially feasible stable, modular structures. The growth in the world’s population and the expansion in the industry worldwide necessitate the development of new and efficient technologies with a minimum carbon footprint and the least impact on the environment. The newly developed nanoenabled membranes are gaining wide appreciation as a green technology for major separation processes, able to resolve the “tradeoff” dispute observed in traditional membrane separation processes. This chapter focuses on recent development in novel nanocomposite membranes and their potential applications in different fields, including air and water purification, desalination, energy sector, food, and biomedical fields.