Mini Review on Nanomaterial-Driven Substrate Optimization of Polyamide Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes for FO, RO and NF Applications

The rising demand for clean water has reinforced the importance of thin-film composite TFC polyamide membranes in desalination and wastewater treatment. While improvements often target the selective layer, these can sometimes reduce stability or selectivity. An alternative approach is to tailor the porous support, particularly through the incorporation of nanomaterials such as metal oxides, carbon-based nanomaterials, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolites, and cellulose-based materials, to improve overall membrane performance. The modification of membrane substrates through the incorporation of nanofillers has demonstrated notable advantages, including enhanced hydrophilicity, improved mechanical stability, and increased porosity. These improvements collectively contribute to higher permeability, reduced internal concentration polarization and enhanced separation performance in FO, NF, and RO applications. The review starts by clearly distinguishing substrate modification, in which nanomaterials are localized in the porous support, from interlayer modification, which involves constructing a distinct layer between the support and selective layer. This concise review highlights current developments in the nanomaterial-based support modification of polyamide TFC membranes; it summarizes nanomaterials selections, incorporation techniques, and resulting property changes. Current challenges and potential research opportunities are also discussed.