Development of high-throughput electrospun chitosan/PEO-CNC composite membranes with enhanced antibacterial and oil-water separation properties.

Untreated waste liquid mixtures often support large bacterial populations, posing challenges to effective purification due to high volume and limited filtration efficiency. This study aims to develop a multifunctional filtration membrane that combines both filtration and sterilization, enhancing overall purification efficiency. Using electrospinning technology, we fabricated a superhydrophilic, oil-repellent membrane by integrating the hydrophilic properties of chitosan, antibacterial N-halamine groups, and the mechanical strength of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). The chitosan's -NH₂ groups were chlorinated to form N-halamine groups, significantly enhancing the membrane's bactericidal properties. Experimental results demonstrated that the CS/PEO-CNC-2-Cl membrane achieved complete inactivation of E. coli (108 CFU/mL) and S. aureus within 1 min of contact. Furthermore, under a filtration rate of up to 1273 L·m-2·h-1, the membrane fully inactivated a 106 CFU/mL S. aureus bacterial solution. These findings indicate that the superhydrophilic, antibacterial membrane developed in this study holds considerable promise for applications in water treatment, particularly in addressing oil and microbial contamination.