Abstract

Photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR), in which photocatalysis is coupled with membrane separation process, is a new hybrid technology for water and wastewater treatment. With some unique advantages such as nontoxic and continuous running, PMR has developed rapidly in the past few years. In this work, different kinds of PMRs are compared and related patents and research progresses are briefly summarized. Operation modes, module structures, variants of membranes and morphologies of photocatalysts are analyzed. Particularly, the configurations of PMRs with low pressuredriven membranes are discussed in detail due to its promising future in water purification. Further, some interesting PMR systems coupled with other membrane technology such as membrane distillation and dialysis are also introduced.

Keywords: Photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR), photocatalysis, membrane separation, water treatment, SPMR, IPMR, photocatalysis-membrane integrated systems, nanotubes, nanowires, Photocatalytic reactors, membrane filtration, titania-based ultrafiltration membrane, nanostructured material, Photocatalytic degradation, TiO2 nanotube membrane