1
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Sun K, Lyu Q, Zheng X, Liu R, Tang CY, Zhao M, Dong Y. Enhanced water treatment performance of ceramic-based forward osmosis membranes via MOF interlayer. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 254:121395. [PMID: 38452527 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Forward osmosis (FO) membrane processes could operate without hydraulic pressures, enabling the efficient treatment of wastewaters with mitigated membrane fouling and enhanced efficiency. Designing a high-performance polyamide (PA) layer on ceramic substrates remains a challenge for FO desalination applications. Herein, we report the enhanced water treatment performance of thin-film nanocomposite ceramic-based FO membranes via an in situ grown Zr-MOF (UiO-66-NH2) interlayer. With the Zr-MOF interlayer, the ceramic-based FO membranes exhibit lower thickness, higher cross-linking degree, and increased surface roughness, leading to higher water flux of 27.38 L m-2 h-1 and lower reverse salt flux of 3.45 g m-2 h-1. The ceramic-based FO membranes with Zr-MOF interlayer not only have an application potential in harsh environments such as acidic solution (pH 3) and alkaline solution (pH 11), but also exhibit promising water and reverse salt transport properties, which are better than most MOF-incorporated PA membranes. Furthermore, the membranes could reject major species (ions, oil and organics) with rejections >94 % and water flux of 22.62-14.35 L m-2 h-1 in the treatment of actual alkaline industrial wastewater (pH 8.6). This rational design proposed in this study is not only applicable for the development of a high-quality ceramic-based FO membrane with enhanced performance but also can be potentially extended to more challenging water treatment applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuo Sun
- School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Qiang Lyu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, Shandong 266580, China
| | - Xiangyong Zheng
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Renlan Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Min Zhao
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
| | - Yingchao Dong
- School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
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2
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Zhu CY, Li HN, Guo BB, Fang Y, Liu C, Yang HC, Zhang C, Liang HQ, Xu ZK. Leveraging Janus Substrates as a Confined "Interfacial Reactor" to Synthesize Ultrapermeable Polyamide Nanofilms. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2024; 7:0359. [PMID: 38694199 PMCID: PMC11062503 DOI: 10.34133/research.0359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Porous substrates act as open "interfacial reactors" during the synthesis of polyamide composite membranes via interfacial polymerization. However, achieving a thin and dense polyamide nanofilm with high permeance and selectivity is challenging when using a conventional substrate with uniform wettability. To overcome this limitation, we propose the use of Janus porous substrates as confined interfacial reactors to decouple the local monomer concentration from the total monomer amount during interfacial polymerization. By manipulating the location of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface in a Janus porous substrate, we can precisely control the monomer solution confined within the hydrophilic layer without compromising its concentration. The hydrophilic surface ensures the uniform distribution of monomers, preventing the formation of defects. By employing Janus substrates fabricated through single-sided deposition of polydopamine/polyethyleneimine, we significantly reduce the thickness of the polyamide nanofilms from 88.4 to 3.8 nm by decreasing the thickness of the hydrophilic layer. This reduction leads to a remarkable enhancement in water permeance from 7.2 to 52.0 l/m2·h·bar while still maintaining ~96% Na2SO4 rejection. The overall performance of this membrane surpasses that of most reported membranes, including state-of-the-art commercial products. The presented strategy is both simple and effective, bringing ultrapermeable polyamide nanofilms one step closer to practical separation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Ye Zhu
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment Technology, and Key Lab of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The “Belt and Road” Sino-Portugal Joint Lab on Advanced Materials, International Research Center for X Polymers,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hao-Nan Li
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment Technology, and Key Lab of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Bian-Bian Guo
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment Technology, and Key Lab of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yu Fang
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment Technology, and Key Lab of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chang Liu
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment Technology, and Key Lab of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The “Belt and Road” Sino-Portugal Joint Lab on Advanced Materials, International Research Center for X Polymers,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hao-Cheng Yang
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment Technology, and Key Lab of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The “Belt and Road” Sino-Portugal Joint Lab on Advanced Materials, International Research Center for X Polymers,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment Technology, and Key Lab of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The “Belt and Road” Sino-Portugal Joint Lab on Advanced Materials, International Research Center for X Polymers,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hong-Qing Liang
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment Technology, and Key Lab of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The “Belt and Road” Sino-Portugal Joint Lab on Advanced Materials, International Research Center for X Polymers,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhi-Kang Xu
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment Technology, and Key Lab of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The “Belt and Road” Sino-Portugal Joint Lab on Advanced Materials, International Research Center for X Polymers,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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3
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Long L, Guo H, Zhang L, Gan Q, Wu C, Zhou S, Peng LE, Tang CY. Engraving Polyamide Layers by In Situ Self-Etchable CaCO 3 Nanoparticles Enhances Separation Properties and Antifouling Performance of Reverse Osmosis Membranes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6435-6443. [PMID: 38551393 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Nanovoids within a polyamide layer play an important role in the separation performance of thin-film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. To form more extensive nanovoids for enhanced performance, one commonly used method is to incorporate sacrificial nanofillers in the polyamide layer during the exothermic interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction, followed by some post-etching processes. However, these post-treatments could harm the membrane integrity, thereby leading to reduced selectivity. In this study, we applied in situ self-etchable sacrificial nanofillers by taking advantage of the strong acid and heat generated in IP. CaCO3 nanoparticles (nCaCO3) were used as the model nanofillers, which can be in situ etched by reacting with H+ to leave void nanostructures behind. This reaction can further degas CO2 nanobubbles assisted by heat in IP to form more nanovoids in the polyamide layer. These nanovoids can facilitate water transport by enlarging the effective surface filtration area of the polyamide and reducing hydraulic resistance to significantly enhance water permeance. The correlations between the nanovoid properties and membrane performance were systematically analyzed. We further demonstrate that the nCaCO3-tailored membrane can improve membrane antifouling propensity and rejections to boron and As(III) compared with the control. This study investigated a novel strategy of applying self-etchable gas precursors to engrave the polyamide layer for enhanced membrane performance, which provides new insights into the design and synthesis of TFC membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Long
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P R China
| | - Hao Guo
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P R China
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P R China
| | - Lingyue Zhang
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P R China
| | - Qimao Gan
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P R China
| | - Chenyue Wu
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P R China
| | - Shenghua Zhou
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P R China
| | - Lu Elfa Peng
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P R China
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P R China
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4
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Ma C, Cheng Z, Zhang M, Huang Y, Huang W, Wang L, Zhao B, Zhang Z. High performance forward osmosis membrane with ultrathin hydrophobic nanofibrous interlayer. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 338:139556. [PMID: 37467861 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
The novel thin film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membrane with electrospinning nanofibers as support layer can alleviate internal concentration polarization (ICP). While the macropores of the nanofiber support layer cause defects in the polyamide (PA) layer. Therefore, hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fine nanofibers were used as an interlayer to modulate the process of interfacial polymerization (IP) in this study. The results showed that the introduction of the interlayer improved the hydrophobicity of the support layer for achieving uniform, thin and defect-free selective polyamide (PA) layer. The water flux of TFC-PVDF was 58.26 LMH in the FO mode of 2 M NaCl, which was two times higher than that of the unmodified FO membrane. Lower reverse salt flux (4.91 gMH) and structural parameter (179.43 μm) alleviated the ICP. In addition, TFC-PVDF membrane showed good anti-fouling performance for SA (flux recovery ratio of 93.97%) due to high hydrophilicity, low zeta potential and low roughness. This study provides an easy and promising method to prepare defect-free PA selective layer on the macropores nanofiber support layer. The novel FO membrane shows high desalination performance and anti-fouling properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China; Tianjin Haiyuanhui Technology Co., Ltd., Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Zhaoyang Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Yukun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Weili Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Liang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China; Cangzhou Institute of Tiangong University, Cangzhou, 061000, China.
| | - Bin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China
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5
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Long L, Peng LE, Zhou S, Gan Q, Li X, Jiang J, Han J, Zhang X, Guo H, Tang CY. NaHCO 3 addition enhances water permeance and Ca/haloacetic acids selectivity of nanofiltration membranes for drinking water treatment. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 242:120255. [PMID: 37356158 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
The existence of disinfection by-products such as haloacetic acids (HAAs) in drinking water severely threatens water safety and public health. Nanofiltration (NF) is a promising strategy to remove HAAs for clean water production. However, NF often possesses overhigh rejection of essential minerals such as calcium. Herein, we developed highly selective NF membranes with tailored surface charge and pore size for efficient rejection of HAAs and high passage of minerals. The NF membranes were fabricated through interfacial polymerization (IP) with NaHCO3 as an additive. The NaHCO3-tailored NF membranes exhibited high water permeance up to ∼24.0 L m - 2 h - 1 bar-1 (more than doubled compared with the control membrane) thanks to the formation of stripe-like features and enlarged pore size. Meanwhile, the tailored membranes showed enhanced negative charge, which benefitted their rejection of HAAs and passage of Ca and Mg. The higher rejection of HAAs (e.g., > 90%) with the lower rejection of minerals (e.g., < 30% for Ca) allowed the NF membranes to achieve higher minerals/HAAs selectivity, which was significantly higher than those of commercially available NF membranes. The simultaneously enhanced membrane performance and higher minerals/HAAs selectivity would greatly boost water production efficiency and water quality. Our findings provide a novel insight to tailor the minerals/micropollutants selectivity of NF membranes for highly selective separation in membrane-based water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Long
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lu Elfa Peng
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shenghua Zhou
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qimao Gan
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xianhui Li
- Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jingyi Jiang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clean Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jiarui Han
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clean Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiangru Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clean Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hao Guo
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China; Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Membrane-based Environmental & Sustainable Technology Group, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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6
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Gu S, Zhang L, de Campo L, O'Dell LA, Wang D, Wang G, Kong L. Lyotropic Liquid Crystal (LLC)-Templated Nanofiltration Membranes by Precisely Administering LLC/Substrate Interfacial Structure. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:549. [PMID: 37367753 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13060549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Mesoporous materials based on lyotropic liquid crystal templates with precisely defined and flexible nanostructures offer an alluring solution to the age-old challenge of water scarcity. In contrast, polyamide (PA)-based thin-film composite (TFC) membranes have long been hailed as the state of the art in desalination. They grapple with a common trade-off between permeability and selectivity. However, the tides are turning as these novel materials, with pore sizes ranging from 0.2 to 5 nm, take center stage as highly coveted active layers in TFC membranes. With the ability to regulate water transport and influence the formation of the active layer, the middle porous substrate of TFC membranes becomes an essential player in unlocking their true potential. This review delves deep into the recent advancements in fabricating active layers using lyotropic liquid crystal templates on porous substrates. It meticulously analyzes the retention of the liquid crystal phase structure, explores the membrane fabrication processes, and evaluates the water filtration performance. Additionally, it presents an exhaustive comparison between the effects of substrates on both polyamide and lyotropic liquid crystal template top layer-based TFC membranes, covering crucial aspects such as surface pore structures, hydrophilicity, and heterogeneity. To push the boundaries even further, the review explores a diverse array of promising strategies for surface modification and interlayer introduction, all aimed at achieving an ideal substrate surface design. Moreover, it delves into the realm of cutting-edge techniques for detecting and unraveling the intricate interfacial structures between the lyotropic liquid crystal and the substrate. This review is a passport to unravel the enigmatic world of lyotropic liquid crystal-templated TFC membranes and their transformative role in global water challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senlin Gu
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Liangliang Zhang
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Liliana de Campo
- Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering, Australia Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO), Sydney, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Luke A O'Dell
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Dong Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Application, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Intelligent Textile Materials & Application, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Guang Wang
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Spallation Neutron Source Science Centre, Dongguan 523803, China
| | - Lingxue Kong
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
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7
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Hu Y, Wang F, Yang Z, Tang CY. Modeling nanovoid-enhanced water permeance of thin film composite membranes. J Memb Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2023.121555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
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8
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Gan Q, Wu C, Long L, Peng LE, Yang Z, Guo H, Tang CY. Does Surface Roughness Necessarily Increase the Fouling Propensity of Polyamide Reverse Osmosis Membranes by Humic Acid? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:2548-2556. [PMID: 36719958 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Surface roughness has crucial influence on the fouling propensity of thin film composite (TFC) polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. A common wisdom is that rougher membranes tend to experience more severe fouling. In this study, we compared the fouling behaviors of a smooth polyamide membrane (RO-s) and a nanovoid-containing rough polyamide membrane (RO-r). Contrary to the traditional belief, we observed more severe fouling for RO-s, which can be ascribed to its uneven flux distribution caused by the "funnel effect". Additional tracer filtration tests using gold nanoparticles revealed a more patchlike particle deposition pattern, confirming the adverse impact of "funnel effect" on membrane water transport. In contrast, the experimentally observed lower fouling propensity of the nanovoid-containing rough membrane can be explained by: (1) the weakened "funnel effect" thanks to the presence of nanovoids, which can regulate the water transport pathway through the membrane and (2) the decreased average localized flux over the membrane surface due to the increased effective filtration area for the nanovoid-induced roughness features. The current study provides fundamental insights into the critical role of surface roughness in membrane fouling, which may have important implications for the future development of high-performance antifouling membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qimao Gan
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R. China
| | - Chenyue Wu
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R. China
| | - Li Long
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R. China
| | - Lu Elfa Peng
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R. China
| | - Zhe Yang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R. China
| | - Hao Guo
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R. China
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R. China
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9
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Zhao X, Fan Y, Wang C, Su Z, Huo H, Yang X, Cai Y, Geng Z, Wang C. Multi-functional Ag@NH2-UiO-66/PAES-COOH self-supporting symmetric hybrid membrane for forward osmosis separation. J Memb Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2023.121538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
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10
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Gan Q, Peng LE, Yang Z, Sun PF, Wang L, Guo H, Tang CY. Demystifying the Role of Surfactant in Tailoring Polyamide Morphology for Enhanced Reverse Osmosis Performance: Mechanistic Insights and Environmental Implications. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:1819-1827. [PMID: 36652351 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Surfactant-assisted interfacial polymerization (IP) has shown strong potential to improve the separation performance of thin film composite polyamide membranes. A common belief is that the enhanced performance is attributed to accelerated amine diffusion induced by the surfactant, which can promote the IP reaction. However, we show enhanced membrane performance for Tween 80 (a common surfactant), even though it decreased the amine diffusion. Indeed, the membrane performance is closely related to its polyamide roughness features with numerous nanovoids. Inspired by the nanofoaming theory that relates the roughness features to nanobubbles degassed during the IP reaction, we hypothesize that the surfactant can stabilize the generated nanobubbles to tailor the formation of nanovoids. Accordingly, we obtained enlarged nanovoids when the surfactant was added below its critical micelle concentration (CMC). In addition, both the membrane permeance and selectivity were enhanced, thanks to the enlarged nanovoids and reduced defects in the polyamide layer. Increasing the concentration above CMC resulted in shrunken nanovoids and deteriorated performance, which can be ascribed to the decreased stabilization effect caused by micelle formation. Interestingly, better antifouling performance was also observed for the surfactant-assisted membranes. Our current study provides mechanistic insights into the critical role of surfactant during the IP reaction, which may have important implications for more efficient membrane-based desalination and water reuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qimao Gan
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R., China
| | - Lu Elfa Peng
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R., China
| | - Zhe Yang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R., China
| | - Peng-Fei Sun
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R., China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R., China
| | - Hao Guo
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R., China
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR999077, P. R., China
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11
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Ma D, Zhang Z, Xiong S, Zhou J, Wang Y. Additive manufacturing of defect-healing polyamide membranes for fast and robust desalination. J Memb Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2023.121407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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12
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Wu L, Li Q, Ma C, Li M, Yu Y. A novel conductive carbon-based forward osmosis membrane for dye wastewater treatment. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 308:136367. [PMID: 36088972 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Forward osmosis (FO) membrane fouling is one of the main reasons that hinder the further application of FO technology in the treatment of dye wastewater. To alleviate membrane fouling, a conductive coal carbon-based substrate and polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs) interlayer composite FO membrane (CPFO) was prepared by interfacial polymerization (IP). CPFO-10 membrane prepared by depositing 10 mL of PDA NPs solution exhibited an optimum performance with water flux of 7.56 L/(m2h) for FO mode and 10.75 L/(m2h) for pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) mode, respectively. For rhodamine B and chrome black T dye wastewater treatment, the water flux losses were reduced by 21.6%, and 14.5% under the voltages of +1.5 V, and -1.5 V, respectively, compared with no voltage applied after the device was operated for 8 h. The applied voltage had little effect on the fouling mitigation performance of the CPFO membrane for neutral charged cresol red. After the device was operated for 4 cycles, the rejection rates of dyes wastewater treated by the CPFO membranes with applied voltage were close to 100%. The flux decline rate and flux recovery rate of CPFO membrane for rhodamine B and chrome black T wastewater treatment under application of +1.5 V and -1.5 V voltage after 4 cycles were 11.6%, 99.2%, and 16.7%, 98.9%, respectively. Therefore, the voltage-applied CPFO membrane still maintained good rejection and antifouling performance in long-term operation. This study provides a new insight into the preparation of conductive FO membranes for dye wastewater treatment and membrane fouling control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Songliao Aquatic Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun, 130000, China
| | - Qianqian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Cong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China; Tianjin Haiyuanhui Technology Co., Ltd., Tianjin, 300457, China.
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Songliao Aquatic Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun, 130000, China
| | - Yujuan Yu
- Center of Environmental Emergency and Accident Investigation of Changchun, Changchun, 130000, China
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13
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Zhang Y, Xu P, Chen X, Qiu M, Fan Y. Preparation of high permeance thin-film composite nanofiltration membrane on macroporous ceramic support. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.121076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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14
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Zhang H, Chen Y, Tang S, Sun H, Li P, Hou Y, Niu QJ. Regulation of interfacial polymerization process based on reversible enamine reaction for high performance nanofiltration membrane. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.121070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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15
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Liu J, Tang Z, Yang H, Li X, Yu X, Wang Z, Huang T, Tang CY. Dissecting the role of membrane defects with low-energy barrier on fouling development through A collision Attachment-Monte Carlo approach. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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16
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Sharma U, Pandey R, Basu S, Saravanan P. Facile monomer interlayered MOF based thin film nanocomposite for efficient arsenic separation. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 309:136634. [PMID: 36202371 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The thin film nanocomposites (TFN) based membranes are sensitive to the synergy between the polymer and nanoparticles. TFN incorporating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown tremendous enhancement in permeability. This study investigates alternate MOF positioning during TFC fabrication for a highly selective membrane. Co-Zn-based mixed metal-organic framework (mMOF) was interlayered between m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) to form a polyamide (PA) selective layer. The practiced method conveniently allowed exact loading of mMOF and thus prevented the loss. Owing to the mMOF's placement between MPD and TMC, an increase in PA cross-linking was observed. The mMOF-MPD monomer compatibility allowed homogeneous distribution and formation of a defect-free PA layer. The surface morphology showed a more pronounced formation of leaves-like features due to interfacial degassing. Neutral solute-based filtration tests determined mean pore size, probability distribution, and MWCO. The incorporation of mMOF led to formation of additional nanochannels in the membrane surface. The perm-selectivity studies performed on a dead-end filtration unit resulted in 94% As5+ retention with 2.5 times higher permeance than the control. The current study pronounced the viability of the monomer interlayer method to form a highly selective TFN for water separation and related applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uttkarshni Sharma
- Environmental Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 826004, India.
| | - Rohit Pandey
- Environmental Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 826004, India.
| | - Subhankar Basu
- Department of Applied Science and Humanities, National Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Ranchi, Jharkhand 834003, India.
| | - Pichiah Saravanan
- Environmental Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 826004, India.
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17
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Plisko T, Burts K, Zolotarev A, Bildyukevich A, Dmitrenko M, Kuzminova A, Ermakov S, Penkova A. Development and Investigation of Hierarchically Structured Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes from Polyamide/Chitosan Succinate Embedded with a Metal-Organic Framework (Fe-BTC) for Pervaporation. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:967. [PMID: 36295726 PMCID: PMC9611024 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12100967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Thin-film composite membranes (TFC) obtained by the formation of a selective layer on a porous membrane-substrate via interfacial polymerization (IP) are indispensable for separation procedures in reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, pervaporation, and gas separation. Achieving high selectivity and permeability for TFC membranes is still one of the main challenges in membrane science and technology. This study focuses on the development of thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes with a hierarchically structured polyamide (PA)/chitosan succinate (ChS) selective layer embedded with a metal-organic framework of iron 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate (Fe-BTC) for the enhanced pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol. The aim of this work was to study the effect of Fe-BTC incorporation into the ChS interlayer and PA selective layer, obtained via IP, on the structure, properties, and performance of pervaporation TFN membranes. The structure and hydrophilicity of the developed TFN membranes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), along with water contact angle measurements. The developed TFN membranes were studied in the pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol (12-30 wt % water). It was found that incorporation of Fe-BTC into the ChS interlayer yielded the formation of a smoother, more uniform, and defect-free PA ultrathin selective layer via IP, due to the amorpho-crystalline structure of particles serving as the amine storage reservoir and led to an increase in membrane selectivity toward water, and a slight decrease in permeation flux compared to the ChS interlayered TFC membranes. The best pervaporation performance was demonstrated by the TFN membrane with a ChS-Fe-BTC interlayer and the addition of 0.03 wt % Fe-BTC in the PA layer, yielding a permeation flux of 197-826 g·m-2·h-1 and 98.50-99.99 wt % water in the permeate, in the pervaporation separation of isopropanol/water mixtures (12-30 wt % water).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Plisko
- Institute of Physical Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 220072 Minsk, Belarus
| | - Katsiaryna Burts
- Institute of Physical Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 220072 Minsk, Belarus
| | - Andrey Zolotarev
- St. Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexandr Bildyukevich
- Institute of Physical Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 220072 Minsk, Belarus
| | - Mariia Dmitrenko
- St. Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna Kuzminova
- St. Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergey Ermakov
- St. Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anastasia Penkova
- St. Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
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18
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Dai R, Yang Z, Qiu Z, Long L, Tang CY, Wang Z. Distinct impact of substrate hydrophilicity on performance and structure of TFC NF and RO polyamide membranes. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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19
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Yang H, Zhang Z, Wang Y. Cavitating substrates to boost water permeance of reverse osmosis membranes. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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20
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Shao S, Zeng F, Long L, Zhu X, Peng LE, Wang F, Yang Z, Tang CY. Nanofiltration Membranes with Crumpled Polyamide Films: A Critical Review on Mechanisms, Performances, and Environmental Applications. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:12811-12827. [PMID: 36048162 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nanofiltration (NF) membranes have been widely applied in many important environmental applications, including water softening, surface/groundwater purification, wastewater treatment, and water reuse. In recent years, a new class of piperazine (PIP)-based NF membranes featuring a crumpled polyamide layer has received considerable attention because of their great potential for achieving dramatic improvements in membrane separation performance. Since the report of novel crumpled Turing structures that exhibited an order of magnitude enhancement in water permeance ( Science 2018, 360 (6388), 518-521), the number of published research papers on this emerging topic has grown exponentially to approximately 200. In this critical review, we provide a systematic framework to classify the crumpled NF morphologies. The fundamental mechanisms and fabrication methods involved in the formation of these crumpled morphologies are summarized. We then discuss the transport of water and solutes in crumpled NF membranes and how these transport phenomena could simultaneously improve membrane water permeance, selectivity, and antifouling performance. The environmental applications of these emerging NF membranes are highlighted, and future research opportunities/needs are identified. The fundamental insights in this review provide critical guidance on the further development of high-performance NF membranes tailored for a wide range of environmental applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senlin Shao
- School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Fanxi Zeng
- School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Li Long
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Xuewu Zhu
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan 250101, PR China
| | - Lu Elfa Peng
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Zhe Yang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China
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21
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Tailoring the substrate of thin film reverse osmosis membrane through a novel β-FeOOH nanorods templating strategy: An insight into the effects on interfacial polymerization of polyamide. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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22
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Vacuum-assisted MPD loading toward promoted nanoscale structure and enhanced water permeance of polyamide RO membrane. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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23
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Fu ZJ, Jiang SK, Chao XY, Zhang CX, Shi Q, Wang ZY, Liu ML, Sun SP. Removing miscellaneous heavy metals by all-in-one ion exchange-nanofiltration membrane. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 222:118888. [PMID: 35907304 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The composition of wastewater containing heavy metal mixtures is often complex and poses a serious threat to human and environmental health. Effective removal of a variety of heavy metal ions with a single technology is challenging, and the conventional split integrated technologies require multi-step processing and a massive footprint. For the first time, we achieve hierarchically integrating ion exchange and nanofiltration into all-in-one "iNF" membranes. The iNF membrane has a hierarchical structure with an interfacial polymerization layer and an ion exchange layer, which can achieve highly efficient indiscriminate heavy metal ion removal, overcoming the defect that traditional nanofiltration membranes can only remove single metal cations or oxyanions. The ion exchange layer can remove heavy metal ions through sulfonic acid groups and quaternary amine groups. In addition, the ion exchange layer can be regenerated by electro-deionization, which is meaningful for sustainable membrane usage. This facile, scalable, and compact integrated process shows outstanding potential and universal applicability in complex wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Jun Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Shang-Kun Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Xin-Yi Chao
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Chun-Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Qixun Shi
- Institute of Advanced Synthesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Zhen-Yuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Mei-Ling Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Shi-Peng Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
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24
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Fraser AC, Chew NGP, Hegde M, Liu F, Liu CW, Coronell O, Dingemans TJ. Linear versus Nonlinear Aromatic Polyamides: The Role of Backbone Geometry in Thin Film Salt Exclusion Membranes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:36143-36156. [PMID: 35901316 PMCID: PMC9711938 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c09810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Two aromatic polyamides─poly(3,3'-dihydroxybenzidine terephthalamide) (DHTA) and poly(3,3'-dihydroxybenzidine isophthalamide) (DHIA)─are compared for their ability to remove salts from water. DHTA is linear and rigid whereas DHIA is nonlinear and semirigid. DHTA and DHIA were selected as they allow us to investigate the effect of polymer backbone geometry on salt exclusion in a non-crosslinked thin film membrane, independently of the backbone chemistry. Because of their differences in solution viscosity, spin coating parameters for DHTA and DHIA solutions were optimized separately to produce thin film composites (TFCs) with reproducible membrane properties. The resulting DHTA TFCs displayed salt rejections of 87.8% (NaCl), 97.0% (MgSO4), and 80.3% (CaCl2). In comparison, DHIA TFCs demonstrated poor salt rejections of 21.0% (NaCl), 29.3% (MgSO4), and 15.4% (CaCl2). Cross-sectional SEM images of DHTA and DHIA films reveal that DHTA has a stratified (layered) morphology whereas DHIA exhibits a dense, featureless morphology. Both DHTA and DHIA TFCs exhibit similar surface morphology, contact angle, surface charge, and water uptake. PEG rejection experiments indicate that the average pore size of DHTA TFCs is ∼2 nm while DHIA TFCs have an average pore size of ∼3 nm. Our findings illustrate that using a rigid, linear aromatic polyamide gives an active layer with a stratified morphology, uniplanar orientation, smaller pores, and higher salt rejection, whereas the nonlinear aromatic polyamide analogue results in an isotropic active layer with larger pores and lower salt rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Fraser
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3050, United States
| | - Nick Guan Pin Chew
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7431, United States
| | - Maruti Hegde
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3050, United States
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7431, United States
| | - Chih-Wei Liu
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7431, United States
| | - Orlando Coronell
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7431, United States
| | - Theo J Dingemans
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3050, United States
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25
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Hu D, Ren X, Fu H, Wang Y, Feng X, Li H. Constructing highly rough skin layer of thin film (nano)composite polyamide membranes to enhance separation performance: A review. J Appl Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/app.52692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Cleaner Production and Integrated Resource Utilization of China National Light Industry and Key Laboratory of Brewing Molecular Engineering of China Light Industry School of Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing P. R. China
| | - Xiaomin Ren
- Key Laboratory of Cleaner Production and Integrated Resource Utilization of China National Light Industry and Key Laboratory of Brewing Molecular Engineering of China Light Industry School of Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing P. R. China
| | - Hongyan Fu
- Key Laboratory of Cleaner Production and Integrated Resource Utilization of China National Light Industry and Key Laboratory of Brewing Molecular Engineering of China Light Industry School of Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing P. R. China
| | - Yu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cleaner Production and Integrated Resource Utilization of China National Light Industry and Key Laboratory of Brewing Molecular Engineering of China Light Industry School of Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing P. R. China
| | - Xudong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cleaner Production and Integrated Resource Utilization of China National Light Industry and Key Laboratory of Brewing Molecular Engineering of China Light Industry School of Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing P. R. China
| | - Hehe Li
- Key Laboratory of Cleaner Production and Integrated Resource Utilization of China National Light Industry and Key Laboratory of Brewing Molecular Engineering of China Light Industry School of Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing P. R. China
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26
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Re-thinking polyamide thin film formation: How does interfacial destabilization dictate film morphology? J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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27
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Gan Q, Peng LE, Guo H, Yang Z, Tang CY. Cosolvent-Assisted Interfacial Polymerization toward Regulating the Morphology and Performance of Polyamide Reverse Osmosis Membranes: Increased m-Phenylenediamine Solubility or Enhanced Interfacial Vaporization? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:10308-10316. [PMID: 35767677 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cosolvent-assisted interfacial polymerization (IP) can effectively enhance the separation performance of thin film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. However, the underlying mechanisms regulating the formation of their polyamide (PA) rejection films remain controversial. The current study reveals two essential roles of cosolvents in the IP reaction: (1) directly promoting interfacial vaporization with their lower boiling points and (2) increasing the solubility of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) in the organic phase, thereby indirectly promoting the IP reaction. Using a series of systematically chosen cosolvents (i.e., diethyl ether, acetone, methanol, and toluene) with different boiling points and MPD solubilities, we show that the surface morphologies of TFC RO membranes were regulated by the combined direct and indirect effects. A cosolvent favoring interfacial vaporization (e.g., lower boiling point, greater MPD solubility, and/or higher concentration) tends to create greater apparent thickness of the rejection layer, larger nanovoids within the layer, and more extensive exterior PA layers, leading to significantly improved membrane water permeance. We further demonstrate the potential to achieve better antifouling performance for the cosolvent-assisted TFC membranes. The current study provides mechanistic insights into the critical roles of cosolvents in IP reactions, providing new tools for tailoring membrane morphology and separation properties toward more efficient desalination and water reuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qimao Gan
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Lu Elfa Peng
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Hao Guo
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Zhe Yang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
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28
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Zhou S, Long L, Yang Z, So SL, Gan B, Guo H, Feng SP, Tang CY. Unveiling the Growth of Polyamide Nanofilms at Water/Organic Free Interfaces: Toward Enhanced Water/Salt Selectivity. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:10279-10288. [PMID: 35802136 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The permeance and selectivity of a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane are governed by its ultrathin polyamide film, yet the growth of this critical film during interfacial polymerization (IP) has not been fully understood. This study investigates the evolution of a polyamide nanofilm at the aqueous/organic interface over time. Despite its thickness remaining largely constant (∼15 nm) for the IP reaction time ranging from 0.5 to 60 min, the density of the polyamide nanofilm increased from 1.25 to 1.36 g cm-3 due to the continued reaction between diffused m-phenylenediamine and dangling acyl chloride groups within the formed polyamide film. This continued growth of the polyamide nanofilm led to a simultaneous increase in its crosslinking degree (from 50.1 to 94.3%) and the healing of nanosized defects, resulting in a greatly enhanced rejection of 99.2% for NaCl without sacrificing water permeance. Using humic acid as a molecular probe for sealing membrane defects, the relative contributions of the increased crosslinking and reduced defects toward better membrane selectivity were resolved, which supports our conceptual model involving both enhanced size exclusion and healed defects. The fundamental insights into the growth mechanisms and the structure-property relationship of the polyamide nanofilm provide crucial guidance for the further development and optimization of high-performance RO membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenghua Zhou
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Li Long
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Zhe Yang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Sik Lui So
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Bowen Gan
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Hao Guo
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Shien-Ping Feng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
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29
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Hu P, Yuan B, Jason Niu Q, Wang N, Zhao S, Cui J, Jiang J. In situ assembled zeolite imidazolate framework nanocrystals hybrid thin film nanocomposite membranes for brackish water desalination. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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30
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Guo Z, Wang H, Wang L, Zhao B, Qian Y, Zhang H. Polyamide thin-film nanocomposite membrane containing star-shaped ZIF-8 with enhanced water permeance and PPCPs removal. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.120886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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31
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Cao S, Deshmukh A, Wang L, Han Q, Shu Y, Ng HY, Wang Z, Lienhard JH. Enhancing the Permselectivity of Thin-Film Composite Membranes Interlayered with MoS 2 Nanosheets via Precise Thickness Control. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:8807-8818. [PMID: 35583029 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The demand for highly permeable and selective thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration membranes, which are essential for seawater and brackish water softening and resource recovery, is growing rapidly. However, improving and tuning membrane permeability and selectivity simultaneously remain highly challenging owing to the lack of thickness control in polyamide films. In this study, we fabricated a high-performance interlayered TFC membrane through classical interfacial polymerization on a MoS2-coated polyethersulfone substrate. Due to the enhanced confinement effect on the interface degassing and the improved adsorption of the amine monomer by the MoS2 interlayer, the MoS2-interlayered TFC membrane exhibited enhanced roughness and crosslinking. Compared to the control TFC membrane, MoS2-interlayered TFC membranes have a thinner polyamide layer, with thickness ranging from 60 to 85 nm, which can be tuned by altering the MoS2 interlayer thickness. A multilayer permeation model was developed to delineate and analyze the transport resistance and permeability of the MoS2 interlayer and polyamide film through the regression of experimental data. The optimized MoS2-interlayered TFC membrane (0.3-inter) had a 96.8% Na2SO4 rejection combined with an excellent permeability of 15.9 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 (LMH/bar), approximately 2.4 times that of the control membrane (6.6 LMH/bar). This research provides a feasible strategy for the rational design of tunable, high-performance NF membranes for environmental applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Cao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Akshay Deshmukh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, Untied States
| | - Li Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Qi Han
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yufei Shu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - How Yong Ng
- Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Zhongying Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - John H Lienhard
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, Untied States
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Wu PH, Gallardo MR, Ang MBMY, Millare JC, Huang SH, Tsai HA, Lee KR. Assessing the impact of membrane support and different amine monomer structures on the efficacy of thin-film composite nanofiltration membrane for dye/salt separation. JOURNAL OF POLYMER RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10965-022-03126-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Yao A, Hua D, Gao ZF, Pan J, Ibrahim AR, Zheng D, Hong Y, Liu Y, Zhan G. Fabrication of organic solvent nanofiltration membrane using commercial PVDF substrate via interfacial polymerization on top of metal-organic frameworks interlayer. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Xu D, Luo X, Jin P, Zhu J, Zhang X, Zheng J, Yang L, Zhu X, Liang H, Van der Bruggen B. A novel ceramic-based thin-film composite nanofiltration membrane with enhanced performance and regeneration potential. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 215:118264. [PMID: 35303558 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The rational design of a ceramic-based nanofiltration membrane remains a significant challenge due to its performance and fabrication cost. Herein, we report a high-performance ceramic-based thin-film composite (TFC) membrane fabricated via a typical interfacial polymerization on an interwoven net substrate assembled by titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanowires. The chemical properties and morphologies were systematically investigated for ceramic substrates and their corresponding TFC membranes. Due to the significantly improved hydrophilicity of the TiO2 framework, more reactive amine monomers were uniformly adsorbed on the modified surface of the ceramic substrate, yielding an ultrathin polyamide layer with less resistance. In addition, the smooth surface and decreased pore size of the TiO2 framework contributed to forming a defect-free polyamide layer. As a result, the obtained ceramic-based TFC membrane evinced high permeance of 26.4 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 and excellent salt rejection efficiency, leading to simultaneous improvements compared with the control TFC membrane without the TiO2 framework. Notably, the potential regeneration ability of the ceramic-based TFC membrane could be achieved via facile low-temperature calcination and re-polymerization process due to the varied thermostability between the polyamide layer and the robust ceramic substrate. The operation of regeneration helped to prolong the lifetime and decrease the cost for the ceramic-based TFC membrane. This research provides a feasible protocol to fabricate sustainable ceramic-based nanofiltration membranes with enhanced performance for water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daliang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, P. R. China; Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Xinsheng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, P. R. China
| | - Pengrui Jin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Junyong Zhu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Energy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, P. R. China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Junfeng Zheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, P. R. China
| | - Xuewu Zhu
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, P. R. China
| | - Heng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, P. R. China.
| | - Bart Van der Bruggen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001, Leuven, Belgium; Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.
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Zhou Z, Zhou S, Cheng X, Liu W, Wu R, Wang J, Liu B, Zhu J, Van der Bruggen B, Zhang Y. Ultrathin polyamide membranes enabled by spin-coating assisted interfacial polymerization for high-flux nanofiltration. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.120648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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36
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An H, Smith JW, Ji B, Cotty S, Zhou S, Yao L, Kalutantirige FC, Chen W, Ou Z, Su X, Feng J, Chen Q. Mechanism and performance relevance of nanomorphogenesis in polyamide films revealed by quantitative 3D imaging and machine learning. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabk1888. [PMID: 35196079 PMCID: PMC8865778 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk1888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Biological morphogenesis has inspired many efficient strategies to diversify material structure and functionality using a fixed set of components. However, implementation of morphogenesis concepts to design soft nanomaterials is underexplored. Here, we study nanomorphogenesis in the form of the three-dimensional (3D) crumpling of polyamide membranes used for commercial molecular separation, through an unprecedented integration of electron tomography, reaction-diffusion theory, machine learning (ML), and liquid-phase atomic force microscopy. 3D tomograms show that the spatial arrangement of crumples scales with monomer concentrations in a form quantitatively consistent with a Turing instability. Membrane microenvironments quantified from the nanomorphologies of crumples are combined with the Spiegler-Kedem model to accurately predict methanol permeance. ML classifies vastly heterogeneous crumples into just four morphology groups, exhibiting distinct mechanical properties. Our work forges quantitative links between synthesis and performance in polymer thin films, which can be applicable to diverse soft nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyosung An
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - John W. Smith
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Bingqiang Ji
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Stephen Cotty
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Shan Zhou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Lehan Yao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - Wenxiang Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Zihao Ou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Xiao Su
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jie Feng
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
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Vickers R, Weigand TM, Miller CT, Coronell O. Molecular Methods for Assessing the Morphology, Topology, and Performance of Polyamide Membranes. J Memb Sci 2022; 644:120110. [PMID: 35082452 PMCID: PMC8786217 DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.120110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The molecular-scale morphology and topology of polyamide composite membranes determine the performance characteristics of these materials. However, molecular-scale simulations are computationally expensive and morphological and topological characterization of molecular structures are not well developed. Molecular dynamics simulation and analysis methods for the polymerization, hydration, and quantification of polyamide membrane structures were developed and compared to elucidate efficient approaches for producing and analyzing the polyamide structure. Polymerization simulations that omitted the reaction-phase solvent did not change the observed hydration, pore-size distribution, or water permeability, while improving the simulation efficiency. Pre-insertion of water into the aggregate pores (radius ≈ 4 Å) of dry domains enabled shorter hydration simulations and improved simulation scaling, without altering pore structure, properties, or performance. Medial axis and Minkowski functional methods were implemented to identify permeation pathways and quantify the polyamide morphology and topology, respectively. Better agreement between simulations and experimentally observed systems was accomplished by increasing the domain size rather than increasing the number of ensemble realizations of smaller systems. The largest domain hydrated was an order of magnitude larger by volume than the largest domain previously reported. This work identifies methods that can enable more efficient and meaningful fundamental modeling of membrane materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley Vickers
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Timothy M. Weigand
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Cass T. Miller
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Orlando Coronell
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
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38
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Grzebyk K, Armstrong MD, Coronell O. Accessing greater thickness and new morphology features in polyamide active layers of thin-film composite membranes by reducing restrictions in amine monomer supply. J Memb Sci 2022; 644:120112. [PMID: 35221456 PMCID: PMC8870508 DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.120112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Polyamide formation, via interfacial polymerization (IP) during thin-film composite (TFC) membrane fabrication, is regarded as self-limiting-in the sense that the polyamide film limits its own growth as it forms. During IP, trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and m-phenylenediamine (MPD) react rapidly to form an incipient polyamide film that densifies and slows the diffusion of the more permeable monomer (MPD), thereby limiting polyamide growth and yielding films that typically exhibit thicknesses <350 nm. The morphology of these polyamide films is characterized by a basal layer of void nodular and leaf-like features that is sometimes overlaid by a secondary layer of overlapping flat features. Here, we present evidence showing that polyamide active layers are substantially permeable to MPD, and that minimizing certain restrictions in the MPD supply conditions during IP can result in polyamide active layers of thicknesses several times greater (>1 μm) than those typically reported in the literature. In addition to the basal layer of void nodular features and secondary layer of overlapping flat features that characterize typical polyamide active layers, the thicker films also exhibited three additional morphological features: blanket-like layers atop the basal layer or other void features, multi-layer void structures, and/or void mega-nodules (up to over a micron in diameter). Overall, the results indicate that reducing restrictions in the MPD supply conditions during IP: (1) overcomes the limited polyamide growth observed in conventional TFC membrane fabrication and (2) leads to film morphologies with a more prominent void structure. This latter observation is consistent with recent literature describing the role of CO2 degassing and nanobubble confinement in the development of polyamide active layer morphology. Future studies could vary MPD supply conditions as a new tool to expand the range of achievable thicknesses in active layer casting, regulate active layer morphology and optimize nanobubble confinement conditions independently of MPD supply. Such capabilities could aid in the development of novel supports and TFC structures.
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39
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Peng LE, Yang Z, Long L, Zhou S, Guo H, Tang CY. A critical review on porous substrates of TFC polyamide membranes: Mechanisms, membrane performances, and future perspectives. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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40
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Interfacial polymerization of thin film selective membrane layers: Effect of polyketone substrates. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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41
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Li X, Wang Z, Han X, Liu Y, Wang C, Yan F, Wang J. Regulating the interfacial polymerization process toward high-performance polyamide thin-film composite reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes: A review. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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42
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Facile preparation of polyvinylidene fluoride substrate supported thin film composite polyamide nanofiltration: Effect of substrate pore size. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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43
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Wang Z, Liang S, Kang Y, Zhao W, Xia Y, Yang J, Wang H, Zhang X. Manipulating interfacial polymerization for polymeric nanofilms of composite separation membranes. Prog Polym Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2021.101450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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44
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Sun PF, Yang Z, Song X, Lee JH, Tang CY, Park HD. Interlayered Forward Osmosis Membranes with Ti 3C 2T x MXene and Carbon Nanotubes for Enhanced Municipal Wastewater Concentration. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:13219-13230. [PMID: 34314168 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Forward osmosis (FO) hybrid systems have the potential to simultaneously recover nutrients and water from wastewater. However, the lack of membranes with high permeability and selectivity has limited the development and scale-up of these hybrid systems. In this study, we fabricated a novel thin-film nanocomposite membrane featuring an interlayer of Ti3C2Tx MXene intercalated with carbon nanotubes (M/C-TFNi). Owing to the enhanced confinement effect on interfacial degassing and increased amine monomer sorption by the interlayer, the resulting M/C-TFNi FO membrane has a greater degree of cross-linking and roughness. In comparison with the thin-film composite (TFC) membrane without an interlayered structure, the M/C-TFNi membrane attained a water flux that was four times higher and a lower specific salt flux. Notably, the M/C-TFNi membrane exhibited excellent concentration efficiency for real municipal wastewater and enhanced rejection of ammonia nitrogen, which breaks the permeability-selectivity upper bound. This study provides a new avenue for the rational design and development of high-performance FO membranes for environmental applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Fei Sun
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea
| | - Zhe Yang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxiao Song
- Centre for Membrane and Water Science & Technology, Ocean College, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Jeong Hoon Lee
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Hee-Deung Park
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea
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45
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Wei Y, Yang Z, Wang L, Yu Y, Yang H, Jin H, Lu P, Wang Y, Wu D, Li Y, Tang CY. Facile ZIF–8 nanocrystals interlayered solvent–resistant thin–film nanocomposite membranes for enhanced solvent permeance and rejection. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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46
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Lu Y, Wang R, Zhu Y, Wang Z, Fang W, Lin S, Jin J. Two-dimensional fractal nanocrystals templating for substantial performance enhancement of polyamide nanofiltration membrane. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2019891118. [PMID: 34493646 PMCID: PMC8449408 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019891118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we report the emergence of two-dimensional (2D) branching fractal structures (BFS) in the nanoconfinement between the active and the support layer of a thin-film-composite polyamide (TFC-PA) nanofiltration membrane. These BFS are crystal dendrites of NaCl formed when salts are either added to the piperazine solution during the interfacial polymerization process or introduced to the nascently formed TFC-PA membrane before drying. The NaCl dosing concentration and the curing temperature have an impact on the size of the BFS but not on the fractal dimension (∼1.76). The BFS can be removed from the TFC-PA membranes by simply dissolving the crystal dendrites in deionized water, and the resulting TFC-PA membranes have substantially higher water fluxes (three- to fourfold) without compromised solute rejection. The flux enhancement is believed to be attributable to the distributed reduction in physical binding between the PA active layer and the support layer, caused by the exertion of crystallization pressure when the BFS formed. This reduced physical binding leads to an increase in the effective area for water transport, which, in turn, results in higher water flux. The BFS-templating method, which includes the interesting characteristics of 2D crystal dendrites, represents a facile, low-cost, and highly practical method of enhancing the performance of the TFC-PA nanofiltration membrane without having to alter the existing infrastructure of membrane fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Lu
- International Laboratory for Adaptive Bio-nanotechnology, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ruoyu Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235-1831
| | - Yuzhang Zhu
- International Laboratory for Adaptive Bio-nanotechnology, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China;
| | - Zhenyi Wang
- International Laboratory for Adaptive Bio-nanotechnology, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Wangxi Fang
- International Laboratory for Adaptive Bio-nanotechnology, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Shihong Lin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235-1831;
| | - Jian Jin
- International Laboratory for Adaptive Bio-nanotechnology, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China;
- Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
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47
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Tian J, Chang H, Gao S, Zong Y, Van der Bruggen B, Zhang R. Direct generation of an ultrathin (8.5 nm) polyamide film with ultrahigh water permeance via in-situ interfacial polymerization on commercial substrate membrane. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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48
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Impact of pilot-scale PSF substrate surface and pore structural properties on tailoring seawater reverse osmosis membrane performance. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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49
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Imbrogno A, Schäfer AI. Micropollutants breakthrough curve phenomena in nanofiltration: Impact of operational parameters. Sep Purif Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2021.118406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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50
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Zhao B, Guo Z, Wang H, Wang L, Qian Y, Long X, Ma C, Zhang Z, Li J, Zhang H. Enhanced water permeance of a polyamide thin-film composite nanofiltration membrane with a metal-organic framework interlayer. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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