Binder-Free Immobilization of Photocatalyst on Membrane Surface for Efficient Photocatalytic H2O2 Production and Water Decontamination

• A binder-free surface immobilization strategy using DMF treatment creates micropores on PVDF nanofibers, enabling firm yet highly exposed photocatalyst binding. • The surface self-bounded photocatalytic membrane achieves 4.2-fold higher H2O2 photosynthesis efficiency than matrix-embedded controls, and outperforms suspension systems. • The photocatalytic system demonstrates tenfold faster micropollutant photodegradation than catalyst-free controls under UV, with robust performance across various water matrices. • The strategy is versatile and can be extended to different catalyst types and membrane substrates, offering a facile route for high-performance photocatalytic membranes.