Water scarcity is a pressing global challenge. Filtration with actual polymeric membranes shows good capability for pollutant separation, but broad applications of polymeric membranes are limited. Filtration can be improved using nanocomposite membranes, which are formed by incorporating nanofillers into polymeric membrane matrixes. The most extensively investigated nanofillers are carbon-based nanoparticles and metal/metal oxide nanoparticles. Here, we review the performance of nanocomposite membranes in antifouling and permeability, their physical and chemical properties and we compare nanocomposite membranes with bare membranes. Nanocomposite membranes generally display better antifouling properties due to the antimicrobial properties of nanoparticles and the reduced roughness of membrane. They also demonstrate higher permeability because of the higher porosity and narrower pore size distribution created by nanofillers. The concentration of nanofillers changes membrane performance, and the optimal concentration depends on both the properties of nanoparticles and the membrane composition. Higher concentrations of nanofillers above the optimal value result in poor performance due to nanoparticle aggregation. Despite intensive research in the synthesis of nanocomposite membranes, most previous efforts are limited to laboratory scale, and the long-term membrane stability following nanofiller leakage has not been extensively investigated.

缺水是迫在眉睫的全球挑战。用实际的聚合物膜过滤显示出良好的污染物分离能力，但是聚合物膜的广泛应用受到限制。可以使用纳米复合膜来改善过滤，该复合膜是通过将纳米填料掺入聚合物膜基质中而形成的。研究最广泛的纳米填料是碳基纳米颗粒和金属/金属氧化物纳米颗粒。在这里，我们回顾了纳米复合膜在防污和渗透性方面的性能，其物理和化学性质，并将纳米复合膜与裸膜进行了比较。纳米复合膜通常由于纳米颗粒的抗微生物特性和降低的膜粗糙度而显示出更好的防污性能。由于纳米填料具有较高的孔隙率和较窄的孔径分布，因此它们还显示出较高的渗透性。纳米填料的浓度改变了膜的性能，最佳浓度取决于纳米颗粒的性质和膜组成。高于最佳值的较高浓度的纳米填料由于纳米粒子聚集而导致较差的性能。尽管对纳米复合膜的合成进行了深入研究，但大多数以前的努力仅限于实验室规模，并且尚未广泛研究纳米填料泄漏后的长期膜稳定性。最佳浓度取决于纳米颗粒的性质和膜组成。高于最佳值的较高浓度的纳米填料由于纳米粒子聚集而导致较差的性能。尽管对纳米复合膜的合成进行了深入研究，但大多数以前的努力仅限于实验室规模，并且尚未广泛研究纳米填料泄漏后的长期膜稳定性。最佳浓度取决于纳米颗粒的性质和膜组成。高于最佳值的较高浓度的纳米填料由于纳米粒子聚集而导致较差的性能。尽管对纳米复合膜的合成进行了深入研究，但大多数以前的努力仅限于实验室规模，并且尚未广泛研究纳米填料泄漏后的长期膜稳定性。