Reinforced‐Concrete Inspired Porous Polymeric Membranes: Improved Mechanical Robust and Compaction Resistance via Incorporating Cellulose Nanofibers

ABSTRACT Membrane compaction is an ever‐present problem that can dramatically cause a flux drop during the practical application of porous polymeric membranes. Inspired by the reinforced concrete structure, we incorporated one‐dimensional cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) into a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix to form a reinforced‐concrete‐like structure through interfacial hydrogen bonding in the process of NIPS. The resulting PVDF@CNF membrane demonstrates a remarkable increase in tensile strength of 178.2% and hardness of 123.4% as compared with the pure PVDF membrane. Furthermore, the anti‐compaction factor was improved by 41%. The enhanced compaction resistance, along with a thinner skin layer and improved hydrophilicity, brought about a 2.6‐fold increase in stable water flux compared to the pure PVDF membrane. The PVDF@CNF membrane also demonstrated excellent separation capabilities, achieving high rejection rates for BSA (93.5%) and whey protein (96.2%), while exhibiting superior antifouling properties with an improved flux recovery ratio ( FRR ) from 61.0% to 87.2%.