Dual-functional electrospun PANCNT/Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite membranes: Synergistic organic-ionic contaminant removal and real-world greywater treatment validation

This study develops dual-functional electrospun PAN nanofiber composites incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) for advanced greywater treatment. The optimized PAN-2%CNT system achieved 92.9% COD and 95.2% TOC removal via π-π stacking interactions, utilizing 260 m²/g surface area, while PAN-2%Fe₂O₃ demonstrated 95% NH₄⁺ and >98% Pb²⁺ removal through Lewis acid-base coordination. These composites outperformed granular activated carbon (GAC) by 30% despite GAC’s higher surface area (675 m²/g), validating nanoconfinement effects over traditional surface area paradigms. The membranes exhibited exceptional mechanical-hydraulic performance with 126.2 MPa tensile strength (87.5% enhancement over pure PAN) and stable operation at 800 LMH with minimal fouling (ΔP