RECENT ADVANCES IN PLANT EXTRACT DERIVED FILLERS FOR POLYMERIC MIXED MATRIX ULTRAFILTRATION MEMBRANES
Keywords:
antifouling, bio-based filler, mixed matrix membrane, polyphenol, ultrafiltrationAbstract
Polymeric ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are widely used in water and wastewater treatment, but hydrophobicity, organic fouling, biofouling, and the permeability selectivity trade off continue to limit long term performance. Plant extracts and plant-derived phytochemicals offer a renewable route to engineering mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) because their phenolic, hydroxyl, carbonyl, and aromatic functionalities can modify polymer filler interactions, wettability, pore formation, and antimicrobial activity. This review summarizes recent progress in plant extract derived fillers for polymeric mixed matrix UF (MMM-UF) systems, with emphasis on studies published from 2018 to September 2026. The literature was organized into three strategies: direct incorporation of plant-derived compounds, plant extract mediated nanofillers, and extract functionalized hybrid inorganic fillers. Across representative studies, tannic acid, curcumin, green tea polyphenols, and related bioactive compounds generally reduced water contact angles and improved flux recovery, whereas hybridization with ZIF-8, MoS₂, boehmite, or metal oxides enhanced filler dispersion and multifunctionality. Selected systems achieved protein rejection of approximately 99%, flux recovery above 90%, or marked antibacterial activity. However, cross-study comparisons remain constrained by inconsistent extract composition, filler loading definitions, feed conditions, and stability tests. Future development should prioritize phytochemical standardization, strategies to prevent leaching, long term validation using real feeds, and safe scale up. Plant extract derived fillers are therefore promising building blocks for more sustainable and multifunctional UF membranes, provided that reproducibility and durability are treated as primary design criteria rather than secondary evaluations.
References
Abdulkareem, S. A., Rashid, K. T., AbdulRazak, A. A., Shehab, M. A., Nabeel, M., Salih, M. A., & Mohammed, H. H. (2026). Advanced green functional groups for tailoring the membrane features and performance in contaminated wastewater treatment: a comprehensive review. RSC Advances, 16(24), 22166–22185. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA09447J
Alias, S. S., Harun, Z., Azhar, F. H., Yusof, K. N., Jamalludin, M. R., Hubadillah, S. K., Basri, S. N., & Al-Harthi, M. A. (2019). Enhancing the performance of a hybrid porous polysulfone membrane impregnated with green Ag/AgO additives derived from the Parkia speciosa. Vacuum, 163, 301–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vacuum.2019.02.034
Arahman, N., Rosnelly, C. M., Yusuf, M., Haikal, R. D., Das, A., Ulbricht, M., & Kalam, M. A. (2026). Bioinspired Modification of Polyethersulfone Membranes Using Aluminum Oxide Hydroxide–Tannic Acid Hybrid Nanoparticles for Enhanced Water Filtration Performance. Water Environment Research, 98(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.70275
Aryanti, N., Kusworo, T. D., Nafiunisa, A., Putri, A. K. P., Masykur, I., Mauludiyah, F., & Zakki, A. (2026). Tannic acid-metal oxide modified polyethersulfone membranes for dye wastewater treatment using micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration. Next Materials, 13, 102899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.102899
Bashir, N., Afzaal, M., Khan, A. L., Nawaz, R., Irfan, A., Almaary, K. S., Dabiellil, F., Bourhia, M., & Ahmed, Z. (2025). Green-synthesized silver nanoparticle-enhanced nanofiltration mixed matrix membranes for high-performance water purification. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1001. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83801-w
Chai, P. V., Choy, P. Y., Teoh, W. C., Mahmoudi, E., & Ang, W. L. (2021). Graphene oxide based mixed matrix membrane in the presence of eco-friendly natural additive gum Arabic. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9(4), 105638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.105638
Chaubey, S., Mehra, S., Yadav, A., Kumar, A., & Shahi, V. K. (2022). Investigation of antifouling and antibacterial properties of curcumin-enriched surfactant nanoparticles modified polysulfone nanocomposite membranes. Materials Today Chemistry, 26, 101130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtchem.2022.101130
Desiriani, R., Istirokhatun, T., Gonzales, R. R., Susanto, H., Aryanti, N., Abriyanto, H., & Matsuyama, H. (2023). Control of organic and biological fouling of polyethersulfone membrane by blending and surface modification using natural additives. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 55, 104244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2023.104244
Desiriani, R., Susanto, H., Aryanti, N., & Abriyanto, H. (2023). Improvement of the antifouling and antibacterial properties of polyethersulfone membrane by incorporating the natural additives collagen and green tea. Results in Engineering, 18, 101176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2023.101176
Gonca, S., Arslan, H., Isik, Z., Özdemir, S., & Dizge, N. (2021). The surface modification of ultrafiltration membrane with silver nanoparticles using Verbascum thapsus leaf extract using green synthesis phenomena. Surfaces and Interfaces, 26, 101291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2021.101291
Moradi, G., Zinadini, S., Rajabi, L., & Ashraf Derakhshan, A. (2020). Removal of heavy metal ions using a new high performance nanofiltration membrane modified with curcumin boehmite nanoparticles. Chemical Engineering Journal, 390, 124546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.124546
Mulyati, S., Aprilia, S., Muchtar, S., Syamsuddin, Y., Rosnelly, C. M., Bilad, M. R., Samsuri, S., & Ismail, N. M. (2022). Fabrication of Polyvinylidene Difluoride Membrane with Enhanced Pore and Filtration Properties by Using Tannic Acid as an Additive. Polymers, 14(1), 186. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14010186
Nadir, I., Rana, N. F., Ahmad, N. M., Tanweer, T., Batool, A., Taimoor, Z., Riaz, S., & Ali, S. M. (2020). Cannabinoids and Terpenes as an Antibacterial and Antibiofouling Promotor for PES Water Filtration Membranes. Molecules, 25(3), 691. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25030691
Pichardo-Romero, D., Garcia-Arce, Z. P., Zavala-Ramírez, A., & Castro-Muñoz, R. (2020). Current Advances in Biofouling Mitigation in Membranes for Water Treatment: An Overview. Processes, 8(2), 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8020182
Puri, S., Divakar, S., Pramoda, K., Praveen, B. M., & Padaki, M. (2025). A review on bio-inspired nanoparticles and their impact on membrane applications. RSC Sustainability, 3(3), 1212–1233. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00460D
Raja, R. I., Rashid, K. T., Toma, M. A., AbdulRazak, A. A., Ahmed Shehab, M., & Hernadi, K. (2024). A novel Polyethersulfone/Chamomile (PES/Chm) mixed matrix membranes for wastewater treatment applications. Journal of Saudi Chemical Society, 28(2), 101805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jscs.2023.101805
Sathish Kumar, R., & Arthanareeswaran, G. (2019). Nano-curcumin incorporated polyethersulfone membranes for enhanced anti-biofouling in treatment of sewage plant effluent. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 94, 258–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2018.09.010
Su, W., Yao, T., & Ran, F. (2026). Tea polyphenol-coated ZIF-8 blends polyethersulfone for modulating water flux and antibacterial properties of ultrafiltration membranes. New Journal of Chemistry, 50(17), 7580–7592. https://doi.org/10.1039/D6NJ00591H
Tiwari, H., Samal, K., Geed, S. R., Bera, S., Das, C., & Mohanty, K. (2023). Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles for ultrafiltration membrane surface modification and antimicrobial activity. Sustainable Chemistry for Climate Action, 3, 100031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scca.2023.100031
Wang, Q., Li, X., Guo, S., Mao, H., Meng, X., Huhe, T., & Zhou, Z. (2024). Enhanced performance of mixed matrix PVDF/TA membranes in treating wastewater containing heavy metals and organics. Chemical Engineering Journal, 496, 154121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.154121
Wibisono, Y., Faradilla, A., Utoro, P. A., Sukoyo, A., Izza, N., & Dewi, S. R. (2018). Anti-biofoulan Alami Moringa oleifera Sebagai Bahan Pengisi Membran Mixed Matrix Selulosa Asetat untuk Klarifikasi Jus Buah. Jurnal Rekayasa Kimia & Lingkungan, 13(2), 100–109. https://doi.org/10.23955/rkl.v13i2.11053
Zainuddin, N. I., Bilad, M. R., Marbelia, L., Budhijanto, W., Arahman, N., Fahrina, A., Shamsuddin, N., Zaki, Z. I., El-Bahy, Z. M., Nandiyanto, A. B. D., & Gunawan, P. (2021). Sequencing Batch Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge Membrane Process for Treatment of Tapioca Processing Wastewater. Membranes, 11(11), 875. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11110875
Zhong, H., Wang, Y., Jiang, Q., Tian, H., Jiang, C., Han, P., Qin, Y., Li, L., & Gui, S. (2024). Preparation of TA-O-MoS2/PES mixed matrix ultrafiltration membrane for rare earth wastewater treatment. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 12(6), 114523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2024.114523
