1
|
Dischinger S, Miller DJ, Vermaas DA, Kingsbury RS. Unifying the Conversation: Membrane Separation Performance in Energy, Water, and Industrial Applications. ACS ES&T ENGINEERING 2024; 4:277-289. [PMID: 38357245 PMCID: PMC10862477 DOI: 10.1021/acsestengg.3c00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Dense polymer membranes enable a diverse range of separations and clean energy technologies, including gas separation, water treatment, and renewable fuel production or conversion. The transport of small molecular and ionic solutes in the majority of these membranes is described by the same solution-diffusion mechanism, yet a comparison of membrane separation performance across applications is rare. A better understanding of how structure-property relationships and driving forces compare among applications would drive innovation in membrane development by identifying opportunities for cross-disciplinary knowledge transfer. Here, we aim to inspire such cross-pollination by evaluating the selectivity and electrochemical driving forces for 29 separations across nine different applications using a common framework grounded in the physicochemical characteristics of the permeating and rejected solutes. Our analysis shows that highly selective membranes usually exhibit high solute rejection, rather than fast solute permeation, and often exploit contrasts in the size and charge of solutes rather than a nonelectrostatic chemical property, polarizability. We also highlight the power of selective driving forces (e.g., the fact that applied electric potential acts on charged solutes but not on neutral ones) to enable effective separation processes, even when the membrane itself has poor selectivity. We conclude by proposing several research opportunities that are likely to impact multiple areas of membrane science. The high-level perspective of membrane separation across fields presented herein aims to promote cross-pollination and innovation by enabling comparisons of solute transport and driving forces among membrane separation applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah
M. Dischinger
- Chemical
Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Daniel J. Miller
- Chemical
Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - David A. Vermaas
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Delft University
of Technology, 2629HZ Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Ryan S. Kingsbury
- Energy
Storage and Distributed Resources Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for
Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Xie Y, Liu D, Ringuette A, Théato P. Branched Poly(arylene ether ketone sulfone)s with Ultradensely Sulfonated Branched Centers for Proton Exchange Membranes: Effect of the Positions of the Sulfonic Acid Groups. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:24517-24527. [PMID: 37186810 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c04153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Branched sulfonated polymers present considerable potential for application as proton exchange membranes, yet investigation of branched polymers containing sulfonated branched centers remains to be advanced. Herein, we report a series of polymers with ultradensely sulfonated branched centers, namely, B-x-SPAEKS, where x represents the degree of branching. In comparison with the analogous polymers bearing sulfonated branched arms, B-x-SPAEKS showed a reduced water affinity, resulting in less swelling and lower proton conductivity. The water uptake, swelling ratio (in-plane), and proton conductivity of B-10-SPAEKS at 80 °C were 52.2%, 57.7%, and 23.6% lower than their counterparts, respectively. However, further analysis revealed that B-x-SPAEKS featured significantly better proton conduction under the same water content due to the formation of larger hydrophilic clusters (∼10 nm) that promoted efficient proton transportation. B-12.5-SPAEKS exhibited a proton conductivity of 138.8 mS cm-1 and a swelling ratio (in-plane) of only 11.6% at 80 °C, both of which were superior to Nafion 117. In addition, a decent single-cell performance of B-12.5-SPAEKS was also achieved. Consequently, the decoration of sulfonic acid groups on the branched centers represents a very promising strategy, enabling outstanding proton conductivity and dimensional stability simultaneously even with low water content.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunji Xie
- Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engesserstrasse 18, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Di Liu
- Laboratory of High Performance Plastics, Ministry of Education, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis Technology of High Performance Polymer, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Life Science, Changchun University of Technology, Changchun, Jilin 130012, P. R. China
| | - Anna Ringuette
- Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engesserstrasse 18, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Patrick Théato
- Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engesserstrasse 18, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
- Soft Matter Synthesis Laboratory, Institute for Biological Interfaces 3, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li W, Yang F, Lin Z, Sun R, Chen L, Xie Y, Pang J, Jiang Z. Semi-crystalline sulfonated poly(ether ketone) proton exchange membranes: The trade-off of facile synthesis and performance. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 645:493-501. [PMID: 37159991 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.04.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Improving the performance of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) through the synthesis of sulfonated polymers with elaborate molecular structures has received extensive approval. However, the tedious synthetic process and consequently high costs restrain their possible substitution for Nafion, a classic PEM material. Herein, a series of semi-crystalline sulfonated poly(ether ketone)s with fluorene-based units were prepared via direct copolymerization of commercially available monomers and followed post-sulfonation, namely SPEK-FD-x, where × represents the molar ratio of the fluorene-containing monomer to the employed bisphenol monomers. The entire synthetic pathway was facile without involving hardly accessible materials. Subsequently, various properties of SPEK-FD-x membranes were investigated and further compared with Nafion 117. Due to the formation of the well-defined hydrophilic-hydrophobic microphase separation morphology and the reinforcement of the PEK crystalline regions, the SPEK-FD-x membranes exhibited outstanding proton conductivity, resistance for methanol permeation, as well as dimensional, thermal, oxidative, and mechanical stability. Among them, the overall behavior of the SPEK-FD-25 membrane was comparable to or even greater than that of Nafion 117, most importantly, it also performed decently in both H2/air fuel cells and direct methanol fuel cells. Therefore, with the straightforward synthesis and superior performance, the SPEK-FD-x membranes may serve as a promising alternative to Nafion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenying Li
- Laboratory of High Performance Plastics (Jilin University), Ministry of Education. National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis Technology of High Performance Polymer. College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR. China
| | - Fan Yang
- Laboratory of High Performance Plastics (Jilin University), Ministry of Education. National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis Technology of High Performance Polymer. College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR. China
| | - Ziyu Lin
- Laboratory of High Performance Plastics (Jilin University), Ministry of Education. National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis Technology of High Performance Polymer. College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR. China
| | - Ruiyin Sun
- Laboratory of High Performance Plastics (Jilin University), Ministry of Education. National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis Technology of High Performance Polymer. College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR. China
| | - Liyuan Chen
- Laboratory of High Performance Plastics (Jilin University), Ministry of Education. National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis Technology of High Performance Polymer. College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR. China
| | - Yunji Xie
- Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstr.18, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Jinhui Pang
- Laboratory of High Performance Plastics (Jilin University), Ministry of Education. National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis Technology of High Performance Polymer. College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR. China.
| | - Zhenhua Jiang
- Laboratory of High Performance Plastics (Jilin University), Ministry of Education. National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis Technology of High Performance Polymer. College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR. China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xu F, Wang Y, Lian C, Xu Z. Fast proton-selective transport through covalent organic frameworks in aqueous phase. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
5
|
Munavalli BB, Hegde SN, Kariduraganavar MY. Synthesis of cross‐linked composite membranes by functionalization of single‐walled carbon nanotubes with 1,4‐butane sultone and sulfanilic acid for fuel cell. J Appl Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/app.52388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sachin N. Hegde
- PG Department of Studies in Chemistry Karnatak University Dharwad India
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Liu Q, Zhang S, Wang Z, Han J, Song C, Xu P, Wang X, Fu S, Jian X. Investigation into the performance decay of proton-exchange membranes based on sulfonated heterocyclic poly(aryl ether ketone)s in Fenton's reagent. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:1760-1769. [PMID: 34985063 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp04531h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sulfonated N-heterocyclic poly(aryl ether) proton-exchange membranes have potential applications in the fuel-cell field due to their favorable proton conduction capacity and stability. This paper investigates the changes in mass and performance decay, such as proton conduction and mechanical strength, of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)s (SPEEKs) and three sulfonated N-heterocyclic poly(aryl ether ketone) (SPPEK, SPBPEK-P-8, and SPPEKK-P) membranes in Fenton's oxidative experiment. The SPEEK membrane exhibited the worst oxidative stability. The oxidative stability of the SPPEK membrane is enhanced due to the introduction of phthalazinone units in the chains. The SPPEKK-P and SPBPEK-P-8 membranes exhibit better radical tolerance than the SPPEK membrane, with proton conductivity retention rates of 66% and 73% for 1 h oxidative treatment, respectively. In addition, the molecular chains of SPPEKK-P and SPBPEK-P-8 exhibit relatively little disruption. The pendant benzenesulfonic groups enhance the steric effects for reducing radical attacks on the ether bonds and reduce the hydration of molecular chains. The introduction of phthalazinone units decreases the rupture points in the main chain. Therefore, the radical tolerance of the membranes is improved. These results provide a reference for the design of highly stable sulfonated heterocyclic poly(aryl ether) membranes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning High-Performance Polymer Engineering Research Center, Dalian Key Laboratory of Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Shouhai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning High-Performance Polymer Engineering Research Center, Dalian Key Laboratory of Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Zhaoqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning High-Performance Polymer Engineering Research Center, Dalian Key Laboratory of Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Jianhua Han
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning High-Performance Polymer Engineering Research Center, Dalian Key Laboratory of Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Ce Song
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning High-Performance Polymer Engineering Research Center, Dalian Key Laboratory of Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Peiqi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning High-Performance Polymer Engineering Research Center, Dalian Key Laboratory of Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Xu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning High-Performance Polymer Engineering Research Center, Dalian Key Laboratory of Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Shaokui Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning High-Performance Polymer Engineering Research Center, Dalian Key Laboratory of Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Xigao Jian
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning High-Performance Polymer Engineering Research Center, Dalian Key Laboratory of Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Dalian, 116024, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Li Z, Hao X, Cheng G, Huang S, Han D, Xiao M, Wang S, Meng Y. In situ implantation of cross-linked functional POSS blocks in Nafion® for high performance direct methanol fuel cells. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
|
8
|
Cai YY, Zhang QG, Zhu AM, Liu QL. Two-dimensional metal-organic framework-graphene oxide hybrid nanocomposite proton exchange membranes with enhanced proton conduction. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 594:593-603. [PMID: 33780764 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.03.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
A novel two-dimensional (2D) zeolitic imidazolate framework-graphene oxide hybrid nanocomposite (ZIF-L@GO) is designed as an inorganic filler in sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK). ZIF-L with unique leaf-like morphology is grown in-situ on the GO sheet in aqueous media at room temperature. The terminal imidazole linker in ZIF-L@GO and the -SO3H in SPEEK can form acid-base pairs in the membrane interface to produce low energy proton conduction highway. Benefiting from the unique structural advantage, the hybrid SP-ZIF-L@GO membranes displayed promoted physicochemical and electrochemical performances over the pure SPEEK. The SP-ZIF-L@GO-5 achieved a proton conductivity of 0.265 and 0.0364 S cm-1 at 70 °C-100% RH and 90 °C-40% RH, 1.76- and 6.24-fold higher than pure SPEEK, respectively. Meanwhile, a single cell based on SP-ZIF-L@GO-5 had an output power up to 652.82 mW cm-2 at 60 °C, 1.45 times higher than the pure SPEEK. In addition, the durability test was performed by holding open circuit voltage (OCV) for 24 h. The SP-ZIF-L@GO-5 provided better long-term stability than the pure SPEEK. These superior performance suggests a promising application in PEMFC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yuan Cai
- Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, PR China
| | - Qiu Gen Zhang
- Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, PR China
| | - Ai Mei Zhu
- Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, PR China
| | - Qing Lin Liu
- Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Simari C, Nicotera I, Aricò AS, Baglio V, Lufrano F. New Insights into Properties of Methanol Transport in Sulfonated Polysulfone Composite Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13091386. [PMID: 33923207 PMCID: PMC8123112 DOI: 10.3390/polym13091386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Methanol crossover through a polymer electrolyte membrane has numerous negative effects on direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) because it decreases the cell voltage due to a mixed potential (occurrence of both oxygen reduction and methanol oxidation reactions) at the cathode, lowers the overall fuel utilization and contributes to long-term membrane degradation. In this work, an investigation of methanol transport properties of composite membranes based on sulfonated polysulfone (sPSf) and modified silica filler is carried out using the PFG-NMR technique, mainly focusing on high methanol concentration (i.e., 5 M). The influence of methanol crossover on the performance of DMFCs equipped with low-cost sPSf-based membranes operating with 5 M methanol solution at the anode is studied, with particular emphasis on the composite membrane approach. Using a surface-modified-silica filler into composite membranes based on sPSf allows reducing methanol cross-over of 50% compared with the pristine membrane, making it a good candidate to be used as polymer electrolyte for high energy DMFCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cataldo Simari
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy;
- Correspondence: (C.S.); (F.L.)
| | - Isabella Nicotera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy;
| | - Antonino Salvatore Aricò
- CNR-ITAE, Istituto di Tecnologie Avanzate per l’Energia “Nicola Giordano”, Via Salita S. Lucia sopra Contesse n., 5-98126 S. Lucia-Messina, Italy; (A.S.A.); (V.B.)
| | - Vincenzo Baglio
- CNR-ITAE, Istituto di Tecnologie Avanzate per l’Energia “Nicola Giordano”, Via Salita S. Lucia sopra Contesse n., 5-98126 S. Lucia-Messina, Italy; (A.S.A.); (V.B.)
| | - Francesco Lufrano
- CNR-ITAE, Istituto di Tecnologie Avanzate per l’Energia “Nicola Giordano”, Via Salita S. Lucia sopra Contesse n., 5-98126 S. Lucia-Messina, Italy; (A.S.A.); (V.B.)
- Correspondence: (C.S.); (F.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Constructing anhydrous proton exchange membranes through alternate depositing graphene oxide and chitosan on sulfonated poly(vinylidenefluoride) or sulfonated poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) membranes. Eur Polym J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2020.110160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
11
|
Kim J, Kim K, Han J, Lee H, Kim H, Kim S, Sung Y, Lee J. End‐group cross‐linked membranes based on highly sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) with vinyl functionalized graphene oxide as a cross‐linker and a filler for proton exchange membrane fuel cell application. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20200665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Junghwan Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes Seoul National University Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Kihyun Kim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Polymer Science and Engineering Gyeongsang National University Jinju South Korea
| | - Jusung Han
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes Seoul National University Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunhee Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes Seoul National University Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Hyejin Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes Seoul National University Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Sungjun Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes Seoul National University Seoul Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Seoul National University Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Yung‐Eun Sung
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes Seoul National University Seoul Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Seoul National University Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Jong‐Chan Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes Seoul National University Seoul Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|