A new plasmonic bi-metallic nanomaterial embedded cellulose membrane for efficient single step removal of chemical and microbial impurities from river water with zero water wastage

Portable low-cost water filters with zero water wastage are in great demand and an utmost need of developing countries, where millions of people have very limited access to pure water. Our fabricated low-priced single step nanoparticles membrane-based filtration system offers a solution by removing 2300 ppm suspended impurities and controlling the total dissolved solid (TDS) to 300 ppm. The bactericidal property of the nanoparticles membrane also lowers the bacterial count below 450 CFU/ml in water collected from an industrially polluted region of Hooghly River of Kolkata, India. Herein, Cu doped Ag nanoparticles were prepared using green synthesis method. Higher doping (14 %) forms the bimetallic nanocomposite Cu decorated Cu doped Ag, as confirmed by XRD, FTIR, Raman and EDAX analysis, resulted in improved wetting, higher negative zeta potential and enhanced homogeneity of the membrane. This yielded high surface adsorption of this bimetallic nanocomposite, which plays an important role in eliminating the suspended and dissolved impurities from the river water when passed through the nanocomposite embedded membrane in a shorter duration. The full acquiescence of the quality of the filtered water with recommended standard of potable water and appreciably high filtration rate of 1048 Lit.m⁻².hour⁻¹ ensure the application of the fabricated nanoparticle filter membrane in an economic water purification system without water wastage.