Membrane-based advanced oxidation processes for water and wastewater treatment: Advances, trade-offs, and challenges

Membrane technology coupled with advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have attracted increasing attention in advanced water treatment. This review maps the field's evolution through a bibliometric analysis and a systematic assessment of 774 SCI-indexed publications (1982–2025). The findings reveal exponential growth in research output, with China as the leading contributor, and major advances driven by chemistry and materials science. Key research hotspots include desalination processes, modification of membrane materials, and the design of membrane reactors. Integrated technologies are categorized into three types based on their radical generation mechanism: membrane-coupled electrochemical AOPs (EAOPs), membrane-coupled photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), and membrane-coupled chemical oxidant-driven AOPs (e.g., Fenton, ozone, or persulfate-coupled processes). The review systematically discusses relevant research process in each category, membrane types and functional roles, fouling control and secondary pollution, as well as reactor design and practical considerations. EAOPs and PCO exploit synergies between separation and oxidation to enhance pollutant removal and enable self-cleaning, albeit remain limited by energy costs and light-harvesting efficiency. Chemical-drive strategies are generally more energy efficient, but faces issues related to oxidant stability and by-product formation. A clear trade-off emerges: EAOPs and PCO systems are more effective against refractory pollutants but are costlier, whereas chemical-driven systems are more economical but limited by oxidant efficiency. Finally, future research directions are proposed as a valuable reference for the sustainable development of this field.