Ordered MoS2 Nanochannels Regulated by CNT for Conformation-Dependent Sieving in High-Salinity Organic Wastewater

Abstract

The rapid expansion of the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries has escalated the discharge of high-salinity organic wastewater, which contains complex solutes and biotoxic antibiotics that are difficult to treat conventionally due to their high osmotic pressure and environmental persistence. Here, we developed a high-performance composite nanofiltration membrane by incorporating hydroxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT-OH) into electrochemically exfoliated monolayer MoS2 nanosheets. SWCNT-OH acts as a structural regulator, preventing MoS2 restacking and constructing stable, highly ordered 1.5 nm interlayer channels. At an optimized mass ratio of 6:1, the membrane achieves a water permeance of 28.0 L·m–2·h–1·bar–1 and a separation factor of 59.8 for oxytetracycline (OTC)/NaCl mixtures. Notably, rejection is governed by the molecular projected cross-sectional dimension relative to the 1.5 nm channels, demonstrating a conformation-dependent selectivity. These results highlight MoS2/CNT membranes as a durable solution for sustainable industrial wastewater treatment.