Fabrication of Polylactic Acid Membrane Assisted with Zinc Oxide for Methyl Orange Dye Removal
NURUL Izzah, AMIRA M Nasib, MOHAMAD SYAHMIE bin Mohamad Rasidi, MOHAMMAD FIRDAUS bin Abu Hasim
Abstract Conventional membranes show limited efficiency in removing persistent dyes like methyl orange, highlighting the need for modified membranes with improved hydrophilicity and performance. Asymmetric PLA membranes incorporated with ZnO nanoparticles were fabricated via non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) to investigate the effects of ZnO loading on their physical and performance properties. Polymer solutions containing 0–0.75 wt.% ZnO were cast and immersed in a 60:40 methanol–water bath at room temperature. The membranes were characterized for morphology, hydrophilicity, porosity, flux, permeability, and methyl orange (MO) dye removal. Increasing ZnO content improved hydrophilicity (contact angle 79.6° to 57.5°) and performance up to 0.25 wt.%, achieving the highest flux and dye removal (60.9 L/m²·h and 68.8%, respectively). Beyond this level, agglomeration reduced porosity and performance. Photocatalytic degradation further enhanced MO dye removal to 71.9%. Overall, 0.25 wt.% ZnO yielded optimal structure and efficiency for sustainable dye wastewater treatment. Higher loadings led to agglomeration and reduced performance, while photocatalytic activity further enhanced methyl orange removal efficiency.
Keywords
Polylactic Acid, Polymeric Membranes, Membrane Filtration, Photocatalyst
Published online 1/15/2026, 10 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: NURUL Izzah, AMIRA M Nasib, MOHAMAD SYAHMIE bin Mohamad Rasidi, MOHAMMAD FIRDAUS bin Abu Hasim, Fabrication of Polylactic Acid Membrane Assisted with Zinc Oxide for Methyl Orange Dye Removal, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 60, pp 10-19, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903971-2
The article was published as article 2 of the book Frontiers of Chemical and Materials Engineering
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] R. Li, Y. Lou, Y. Xu, G. Ma, B. Liao, L. Shen, and H. Lin, Effects of surface morphology on alginate adhesion: Molecular insights into membrane fouling based on XDLVO and DFT analysis. Chemosphere, 233, 373–3 Alhoshan,0 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.05.262
[2] H. M. Diallo, H. Ayyoub, F. Elazhar, M. Tahaikt, A. Elmidaoui, & M. Taky (2024). Evaluation of the potential ultrafiltration to improve the quality of secondary effluents in tertiary treatment and reuse. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 135, 103672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2024.103672
[3] H. Xu, K. Xiao, J. Yu, B. Huang, X. Wang, S. Liang, C. Wei, X. Wen, and X. Huang, A Simple Method to Identify the Dominant Fouling Mechanisms during Membrane Filtration Based on Piecewise Multiple Linear Regression. Membranes, 10(8), 171 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10080171
[4] N. H. Othman, N. H. Alias, N. S. Fuzil, F. Marpani, M. Z. Shahruddin, C. M. Chew, K. M. D. Ng, W. J. Lau, and A. F. Ismail, A review on the use of membrane technology systems in developing countries. Membranes, 12(1), 30 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12010030
[5] E. H. Alosaimi, H. M. Hassan, I. H. Alsohaimi, Q. Chen, S. Melhi, A. A. Younes, and W. H. El-Shwiniy, Fabrication of sulfonated polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes with an excellent antifouling performance by impregnating with polysulfopropyl acrylate coated ZnO nanoparticles. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 25, 102210 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2021.102210
[6] Mezher, H. M., Adeli, H., & Alsalhy, Q. F. (2024). Novel ZnO-modified Polyethersulfone nanocomposite membranes for Nanofiltration of concentrated textile wastewater. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 235(2), 138.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-024-06927-7
[7] M. Alhoshan, J. Alam, L. A. Dass, and N. Al‐Homaidi, Fabrication of Polysulfone/ZNO membrane: Influence of ZNO nanoparticles on membrane characteristics. Advances in Polymer Technology, 32(4) (2013). https://doi.org/10.1002/adv.21369
[8] A. Iulianelli, F. Russo, F. Galiano, M. Manisco, and A. Figoli, Novel bio-polymer based membranes for CO2/CH4 separation. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 117, 103657 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2022.103657
[9] K. M. Lee, C. W. Lai, K. S. Ngai, and J. C. Juan, Recent developments of zinc oxide based photocatalyst in water treatment technology: A review. Water Research, 88, 428–448 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2015.09.045
[10] Huang, S. Si, Z. Chen, & B. Xin, (2025). Preparation, characterization and antibacterial evaluation of PLA/ZnO nanofiber membranes loaded with thymol by coaxial electrospinning. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 107040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2025.107040
[11] Z.M. Hir, A. Abdullah, Z. Zainal, and H. Lim, Photoactive hybrid film photocatalyst of polyethersulfone-ZnO for the degradation of methyl orange dye: Kinetic study and operational parameters. Catalysts, 7(11), 313 (2017). https://doi.org/10.3390/catal7110313
[12] S. Zhao, W. Yan, M. Shi, Z. Wang, J. Wang, and S. Wang, Improving permeability and antifouling performance of polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane by incorporation of ZnO-DMF dispersion containing nano-ZnO and polyvinylpyrrolidone. Journal of Membrane Science, 478, 105–116 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2014.12.050
[13] M. F. Ismail, M. A. Islam, B. Khorshidi, A. Tehrani-Bagha, and M. Sadrzadeh, Surface characterization of thin-film composite membranes using contact angle technique: Review of quantification strategies and applications. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 299, 102524 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2021.102524
[14] T. Xiao, P. Wang, X. Yang, X. Cai, and J. Lu, Fabrication and characterization of novel asymmetric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes by the nonsolvent thermally induced phase separation (NTIPS) method for membrane distillation applications. Journal of Membrane Science, 489, 160–174 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2015.03.081
[15] Nasib, A. M.; Baharudin, N.; Jullok, N.; Rasidi, S.; and Jaafar, J. (2023). Fabrication of biodegradable Polylactic Acid (PLA) membrane for reverse osmosis process. AIP Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0115854
[16] Y. K. Poon, S. K. E. A. Rahim, Q. H. Ng, P. Y. Hoo, N. Y. Abdullah, A. Nasib, and N. S. Abdullah, Synthesis and characterisation of Self-Cleaning TIO2/PES mixed matrix membranes in the removal of humic acid. Membranes, 13(4), 373 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13040373
[17] T. Da Silva Neto, L. S. Maia, M. O. T. Da Conceição, M. B. Da Silva, L. T. Carvalho, S. F. Medeiros, M. I. S. D. Faria, B. B. Migliorini, R. Lima, D. S. Rosa, and D. R. Mulinari, Enhancing PLA filament biocompatibility by introducing ZnO and ketoprofen. Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10904-024-03275-1
[18] J. Ding, Z. Mao, H. Chen, X. Zhang, and H. Fu, Fabrication of ZnO/PDA/GO composite membrane for high efficiency oil–water separation. Applied Physics A, 129(5) (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-023-06654-6
[19] D. A. Goncharova, E. N. Bolbasov, A. L. Nemoykina, A. A. Aljulaih, T. S. Tverdokhlebova, S. A. Kulinich, and V. A. Svetlichnyi. Structure and Properties of Biodegradable PLLA/ZnO Composite Membrane Produced via Electrospinning. Materials, 14(1), 2 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14010002
[20] Z. Tang, F. Fan, Z. Chu, C. Fan, and Y. Qin, Barrier Properties and Characterizations of Poly(lactic Acid)/ZnO Nanocomposites. Molecules, 25(6), 1310 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25061310
[21] V. Salaris, I. S. F. García-Obregón, D. López, and L. Peponi, Fabrication of PLA-Based Electrospun Nanofibers Reinforced with ZnO Nanoparticles and In Vitro Degradation Study. Nanomaterials, 13(15), 2236 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13152236
[22] M. Murali, H. G. Gowtham, N. Shilpa, S. B. Singh, M. Aiyaz, R. Z. Sayyed, C. Shivamallu, R. R. Achar, E. Silina, V. Stupin, N. Manturova, A. A. Shati, M. Y. Alfaifi, S. E. I. Elbehairi, and S. P. Kollur, Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Prepared through Microbial Mediated Synthesis for Therapeutic Applications: A Possible Alternative for Plants. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1227951
[23] L. Shen, X. Bian, X. Lu, L. Shi, Z. Liu, L. Chen, Z. Hou, and K. Fan, Preparation and Characterization of ZnO/Polyethersulfone (PES) Hybrid Membranes. Desalination, 293, 21–29 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2012.02.019
[24] P. Moradihamedani, N. A. Ibrahim, D. Ramimoghadam, W. M. Z. W. Yunus, and N. A. Yusof, Polysulfone/Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO2/CH4 Separation. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 131(16) (2013). https://doi.org/10.1002/app.39745
[25] I. A. Khan, K. M. Deen, E. Asselin, M. Yasir, R. Sadiq, and N. M. Ahmad, Boosting Water Flux and Dye Removal: Advanced Composite Membranes Incorporating Functionalized AC-PAA for Wastewater Treatment. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 145, 705-720 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiec.2024.10.067
[26] M. Mahmoudian and M.G. Kochameshki, The performance of polyethersulfone nanocomposite membrane in the removal of industrial dyes. Polymer, 224, 123693 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2021.123693
