Nanomaterial-Functionalized Tubular Ceramic Membranes: Design, Fabrication, and Prospects for Sustainable Separation

Nanomaterial-functionalized tubular ceramic membranes have emerged as a new generation of advanced separation platforms that integrate the mechanical robustness and chemical stability of ceramics with the tunable selectivity and multifunctionality of nanomaterials. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in their fabrication, surface modification, and performance enhancement, with emphasis on scalable fabrication strategies such as extrusion, freeze casting, and various coating or infiltration techniques. A wide range of nanomaterials─including metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), metal oxides, carbon-based nanostructures, and core–shell composites─have been employed to endow membranes with tailored adsorption, electrostatic, and size-selective transport properties. The review uniquely addresses key gaps in the existing literature, particularly the limited focus on tubular membrane configurations, which are industrially favored due to their superior mechanical integrity and ease of modular integration. A distinct contribution of this review is its structured analysis of performance enhancement, followed by a critical discussion on the paramount challenges of coating uniformity, interfacial adhesion, and long-term stability─aspects often overlooked yet crucial for practical deployment. The review concludes by synthesizing these insights to provide a clear roadmap for developing the next generation of scalable, durable, and sustainable tubular ceramic membranes for water purification and resource recovery.