Synthesis of a Free-Standing Ternary WO/CNT/ZnO-Chitosan Composite Photocatalytic Membrane for the Mitigation of Protein Fouling in Membranes.

The application of membrane filtration, particularly micro- and ultra-filtration, in food and pharmaceutical industries often faces the issue of protein fouling. In this study, we aimed to fabricate a free-standing ternary tungsten trioxide/carbon nanotube/zinc oxide (WO/CNT/ZnO)-chitosan composite photocatalytic membrane via wet processing and infiltration techniques to address the fouling issue. Infiltration with low molecular weight chitosan was found to enhance the mechanical stability of the ternary composite photocatalytic membrane.