Recent Advances in Membrane Technologies for Electronic-Grade Hydrogen Peroxide Purification and Concentration
Canli Zhang, Jiaofei Lei, Wenpeng Li, Penglin Yang, Wenjia Wu, Feifei Wang, Weizhi Song, Suilu Yue, Guangwei ChengHydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is widely used in semiconductor cleaning and etching, where ultralow levels of metallic, anionic, organic, and particulate impurities must be strictly controlled. Industrially produced H2O2 therefore requires extensive downstream purification before it can meet electronic-grade specifications. Conventional purification routes based on distillation or rectification, adsorption, ion exchange, and final filtration are technically mature, but they remain constrained by substantial energy consumption, multiple treatment stages, chemical regeneration, secondary waste generation, and safety risks associated with H2O2 decomposition. This review critically evaluates membrane technologies for purifying and concentrating electronic-grade H2O2. Microfiltration and ultrafiltration are discussed as front-end clarification processes, nanofiltration as an intermediate impurity-load-reduction step, and reverse osmosis as the membrane process with the strongest direct experimental for ionic-impurity removal from concentrated H2O2. Pervaporation and membrane distillation are assessed as emerging water-removal technologies, although their industrial applicability remains insufficiently validated. Membrane material strategies, including oxidation-resistant polymers, inorganic and hybrid membranes, antioxidant-containing composites, and emerging MOF- and two-dimensional-material-based membranes, are also evaluated. Particular attention is paid to the limited direct evidence available for emerging materials and to the risks of H2O2 decomposition, material leaching, particle release, and deterioration of membrane selectivity. The available evidence indicates that membrane processes are currently more appropriately regarded as complementary clarification, purification, polishing, or concentration units rather than complete replacements for established industrial technologies. Future studies should prioritize long-term oxidative stability, ppb- and ppt-level impurity validation, low H2O2 loss, module-material compatibility, process safety, and continuous pilot-scale techno-economic assessment.