As the management of water resources continues to be a growing challenge worldwide, membrane filtration systems are likely to play an important role in water reuse strategies. Novel reactive membranes incorporating titanium dioxide photocatalysts are well suited to the treatment of waters of degraded quality, because TiO₂ is a powerful photocatalyst capable of oxidizing very low concentrations of organic chemicals and inactivating microorganisms. By immobilizing TiO₂ on ceramic micro- and ultrafiltration membranes, our goal is to achieve reduced membrane fouling while providing improved water treatment.

This work compares a variety of nanostructured materials of pure and mixed phase titania prepared by reactive sputtering, sol gel synthesis, and other commercial methods. Additionally, we are investigating the effects of ceramic supports of different pore sizes and metal oxide materials to identify a highly active photocatalytic membrane filter. In this presentation, we will report methods of synthesis, characterization, and results from testing of various membranes for phenolic compound oxidation and bacterial disinfection in water.