HYDROPHILIZING SIO₂ NANOPARTICLES FOR REVERSE OSMOSIS MEMBRANES: TEM/EDS CHARACTERIZATION AND PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS

Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized to evaluate their potential as modifiers for nanocomposite reverse osmosis membranes. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed predominantly quasi-spherical primary particles forming branched aggregates with particle sizes mainly between 10 and 25 nm. Quantitative image analysis showed that approximately 71% of the particles were smaller than 20 nm, with an average diameter of 18.4 ± 14.7 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed stoichiometric SiO₂ without detectable impurities, indicating high chemical purity. The combination of nanoscale particle size, hierarchical morphology, and compositional integrity suggests strong potential for improving membrane wettability, enhancing water flux, and increasing resistance to organic fouling. Materials and Methods SiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized using a wet-chemical method and characterized by TEM and EDS to investigate their morphology and elemental composition. Particle size distributions were obtained from TEM images using an ImageJ–OpenCV workflow incorporating Gaussian filtering, Otsu thresholding, and contour detection. Equivalent particle diameters were calculated from projected areas, while Gaussian and log-normal distribution models were employed for statistical analysis. Results TEM observations revealed quasi-spherical SiO₂ nanoparticles forming branched aggregates with primary particle sizes mainly between 10 and 25 nm. Quantitative image analysis demonstrated that nearly 71% of the particles were smaller than 20 nm, with an average diameter of 18.4 ± 14.7 nm. Gaussian and log-normal fitting indicated that particle size asymmetry was primarily caused by aggregation processes. EDS analysis confirmed stoichiometric SiO₂ with no detectable impurities. Conclusion The synthesized SiO₂ nanoparticles exhibit high chemical purity, nanoscale dimensions, and well-developed hierarchical morphology, making them promising modifiers for nanocomposite reverse osmosis membranes. Their incorporation is expected to improve membrane hydrophilicity, increase permeate flux, enhance fouling resistance, and contribute to the development of advanced membrane technologies for sustainable water treatment.

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