Author Identifier (ORCID)
Javad Farahbakhsh: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5032-6493
Ahmad Najafidoust: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5370-3637
Stefan Iglauer: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8080-1590
Masoumeh Zargar: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9811-6156
Abstract
MXenes (2D transition metal nitrides, oxycarbides, carbonitrides, and carbides) hold promise in water treatment due to tunable surface chemistry and hydrophilic nature but restacking in aqueous environments and susceptibility to oxidation remain challenging. Here, we deliberately exploit partial oxidation of Ti3C2Tx MXene to in situ grow TiO2 nanoparticles on its surface, creating a porous, phase-engineered MXene-TiO2 composite. The anatase:rutile ratio was adjusted through different hydrothermal process time (12, 18, and 24 h), after 18 h composition yielding the best balance of surface charge and structural stability. This composite was incorporated into the polyamide (PA) layer of a thin-film composite reverse osmosis (TFC RO) membrane at optimized loadings. Compared to the pristine membrane, the optimized membrane showed a 5.3-fold increase in permeance (reaching 21.8 ± 0.3 L m−2 h−1 bar−1). At environmentally relevant PFAS concentration, rejection of short-chain PFBA reached 96.9 ± 1.8% and of long-chain PFOA 98.8 ± 0.3%. Performance of fabricated membranes was tested in the presence of Ca2+, humic acid, their mixture, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in the background (maintaining >95% removal). ICP analysis after continuous filtration (10 days) detected no Ti in permeate, indicating strong integration or embedding and chemical bondings to membrane. Extended fouling tests demonstrated sustained permeance and rejection under realistic conditions. This work presents a practical route to overcome MXene restacking and oxidation, delivering a high-performance RO membrane for efficient PFAS removal under practical operating scenarios.
Keywords
Composite, emerging contaminants, membrane, MXene, PFAS, water treatment
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
4-15-2026
Volume
534
Publication Title
Chemical Engineering Journal
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Engineering
Funders
Edith Cowan University / Water Corporation Scholarship
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Ghanbari, R., Farahbakhsh, J., Najafidoust, A., Permala, R., Iglauer, S., Kabiri, S., & Zargar, M. (2026). Harnessing phase engineered porous MXene-TiO2 in polyamide reverse osmosis membranes for enhanced short- and long chain PFAS removal from water. Chemical Engineering Journal, 534, 175198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.175198