1
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Jamali SS, Kashaninejad N, Zhong Y, Nguyen N. Bimodal Ionic Conduction through Polymer Films due to Nano Confinement. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202423548. [PMID: 39994681 PMCID: PMC12015399 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202423548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2025] [Accepted: 02/23/2025] [Indexed: 02/26/2025]
Abstract
Kinetic and selectivity of ionic conduction through polymer films is a key factor in the function of many systems including membrane technology, energy devices, sensors, and corrosion. Typically, the ionic conduction is accelerated by increasing the ionic strength of the electrolyte. However, counterintuitively, polymer films with very high electrochemical impedance demonstrate the opposite effect, i. e. ionic conduction slows down by increasing the ionic strength of the electrolyte. This bimodal nature of ionic conduction was discovered five decades ago and yet the mechanism has remained poorly understood. This minireview explains the long-standing anomaly through the lens of recent advances in nano-confinement electrochemistry. Emerging evidence shows that changes in solvation shells occurs due to the size of the channel through which ionic diffusion takes place. These solvation shells can significantly affect the mobility of ions, their interactions with functional groups of the polymer, and the overall conductivity of the electrolyte. At dimensions only a few nanometers, partially hydrated ions form stronger bonds with polymer slowing down the ionic conduction. Increasing ionic strength will add ion-pairing interactions further reducing ions mobility. The interplay of solvated ions, polymer chemistry, and ionic content offer an explanation for the anomalous bimodal ionic conduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina S. Jamali
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology CentreSchool of Environment and ScienceGriffith UniversityNathanQueensland4111Australia.
| | - Navid Kashaninejad
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology CentreSchool of Environment and ScienceGriffith UniversityNathanQueensland4111Australia.
| | - Yulin Zhong
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology CentreSchool of Environment and ScienceGriffith UniversityNathanQueensland4111Australia.
| | - Nam‐Trung Nguyen
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology CentreSchool of Environment and ScienceGriffith UniversityNathanQueensland4111Australia.
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2
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Salahshoori I, Namayandeh Jorabchi M, Mazaheri A, Mirnezami SMS, Afshar M, Golriz M, Nobre MAL. Tackling antibiotic contaminations in wastewater with novel Modified-MOF nanostructures: A study of molecular simulations and DFT calculations. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 252:118856. [PMID: 38599447 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118856] [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: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The contamination of wastewater with antibiotics has emerged as a critical global challenge, with profound implications for environmental integrity and human well-being. Adsorption techniques have been meticulously investigated and developed to mitigate and alleviate their effects. In this study, we have investigated the adsorption behaviour of Erythromycin (ERY), Gentamicin (GEN), Levofloxacin (LEVO), and Metronidazole (MET) antibiotics as pharmaceutical contaminants (PHCs) on amide-functionalized (RC (=O)NH2)/MIL-53 (Al) (AMD/ML53A), using molecular simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Based on our DFT calculations, it becomes apparent that the adsorption tendencies of antibiotics are predominantly governed by the presence of AMD functional groups on the adsorbent surface. Specifically, hydrogen bonding (HB) and van der Waals (vdW) interactions between antibiotics and AMD groups serve as the primary mechanisms facilitating adsorption. Furthermore, we have observed that the adsorption behaviors of these antibiotics are influenced by their respective functional groups, molecular shapes, and sizes. Our molecular simulations delved into how the AMD/ML53A surfaces interact with antibiotics as PHCs. Moreover, various chemical quantum descriptors based on Frontier Molecular Orbitals (FMO) were explored to elucidate the extent of AMD/ML53A adsorption and to assess potential alterations in their electronic properties throughout the adsorption process. Monte Carlo simulation showed that ERY molecules adsorb stronger to the adsorbent in acidic and basic conditions than other contaminants, with high energies: -404.47 kcal/mol in acidic and -6375.26 kcal/mol in basic environments. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed parallel orientation for the ERY molecule's adsorption on AMD/ML53A with 80% rejection rate. In conclusion, our study highlighted the importance of modeling in developing practical solutions for removing antibiotics as PHCs from wastewater. The insights gained from our calculations can facilitate the design of more effective adsorption materials, ultimately leading to a more hygienic and sustainable ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iman Salahshoori
- Department of Polymer Processing, Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, Tehran, Iran; Department of Chemical Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Majid Namayandeh Jorabchi
- Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, Albert-Einstein-Straße 29a, D-18059 Rostock, Germany; Department of Chemical Engineering, Quchan University of Technology, Quchan, Iran.
| | - Afsaneh Mazaheri
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
| | | | - Mahdis Afshar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Golriz
- Department of Polymer Processing, Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, Tehran, Iran; Department of Energy Storage, Institute of Mechanics, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Marcos A L Nobre
- São Paulo State University (Unesp), School of Technology and Sciences, Presidente Prudente, SP, 19060-900, Brazil
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3
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Fan H, He J, Heiranian M, Pan W, Li Y, Elimelech M. The physical basis for solvent flow in organic solvent nanofiltration. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eado4332. [PMID: 38875330 PMCID: PMC11177934 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado4332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) is an emerging membrane technology that could revolutionize chemical separations in numerous vital industries. Despite its significance, there remains a lack of fundamental understanding of solvent transport mechanisms in OSN membranes. Here, we use an extended Flory-Rehner theory, nonequilibrium molecular dynamic simulations, and organic solvent transport experiments to demonstrate that solvent flow in OSN membranes is driven by a pressure gradient. We show that solvent molecules migrate as clusters through interconnected pathways within the membrane pore structure, challenging the widely accepted diffusion-based view of solvent transport in OSN. We further reveal that solvent permeance is dependent on solvent affinity to the OSN membrane, which, in turn, controls the membrane pore structure. Our fundamental insights lay the scientific groundwork for the development of next-generation OSN membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqing Fan
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
| | - Jinlong He
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1572, USA
| | - Mohammad Heiranian
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Weiyi Pan
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1572, USA
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
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4
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Wu B, Song Z, Xiang Y, Sun H, Yao H, Chen J. Desalination Performance of MoS 2 Membranes with Different Single-Pore Sizes: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:22851-22857. [PMID: 38826545 PMCID: PMC11137718 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Utilizing molecular dynamics simulations, we examined how varying pore sizes affect the desalination capabilities of MoS2 membranes while keeping the total pore area constant. The total pore area within a MoS2 nanosheet was maintained at 200 Å2, and the single-pore areas were varied, approximately 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 Å2. By comparing the water flux and ion rejection rates, we identified the optimal single-pore area for MoS2 membrane desalination. Our simulation results revealed that as the single-pore area expanded, the water flux increased, the velocity of water molecules passing the pores accelerated, the energy barrier decreased, and the number of water molecules within the pores rose, particularly between 30 and 40 Å2. Balancing water flux and rejection rates, we found that a MoS2 membrane with a single-pore area of 40 Å2 offered the most effective water treatment performance. Furthermore, the ion rejection rate of MoS2 membranes was lower for ions with lower valences. This was attributed to the fact that higher-valence ions possess greater masses and radii, leading to slower transmembrane rates and higher transmembrane energy barriers. These insights may serve as theoretical guidance for future applications of MoS2 membranes in water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wu
- College
of Mathematics and Computer Science, College of Optical, Mechanical
and Electrical Engineering, Zhejiang A&F
University, Lin’an, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Zailing Song
- College
of Mathematics and Computer Science, College of Optical, Mechanical
and Electrical Engineering, Zhejiang A&F
University, Lin’an, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Yuanyi Xiang
- Radiation
Monitoring Technical Center of Ministry of Ecology and Environment,
State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Radiation Monitoring, Key Laboratory of Radiation Monitoring of Zhejiang
Province, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Haili Sun
- Zhejiang
GuoFu Environmental Technology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Haiyun Yao
- Radiation
Monitoring Technical Center of Ministry of Ecology and Environment,
State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Radiation Monitoring, Key Laboratory of Radiation Monitoring of Zhejiang
Province, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Junlang Chen
- College
of Mathematics and Computer Science, College of Optical, Mechanical
and Electrical Engineering, Zhejiang A&F
University, Lin’an, Hangzhou 311300, China
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5
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Chen J, Wang T, Dai R, Wu Z, Wang Z. Trade-off between Endocrine-Disrupting Compound Removal and Water Permeance of the Polyamide Nanofiltration Membrane: Phenomenon and Molecular Insights. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:9416-9426. [PMID: 38662937 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c01383] [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: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The polyamide (PA) nanofiltration (NF) membrane has the potential to remove endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) from water and wastewater to prevent risks to both the aquatic ecosystem and human health. However, our understanding of the EDC removal-water permeance trade-off by the PA NF membrane is still limited, although the salt selectivity-water permeance trade-off has been well illustrated. This constrains the precise design of a high-performance membrane for removing EDCs. In this study, we manipulated the PA nanostructures of NF membranes by altering piperazine (PIP) monomer concentrations during the interfacial polymerization (IP) process. The upper bound coefficient for EDC selectivity-water permeance was demonstrated to be more than two magnitudes lower than that for salt selectivity-water permeance. Such variations were derived from the different membrane-solute interactions, in which the water/EDC selectivity was determined by the combined effects of steric exclusion and the hydrophobic interaction, while the electrostatic interaction and steric exclusion played crucial roles in water/salt selectivity. We further highlighted the role of the pore number and residual groups during the transport of EDC molecules across the PA membrane via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Fewer pores decreased the transport channels, and the existence of residual groups might cause steric hindrance and dynamic disturbance to EDC transport inside the membrane. This study elucidated the trade-off phenomenon and mechanisms between EDC selectivity and water permeance, providing a theoretical reference for the precise design of PA NF membranes for effective removal of EDCs in water reuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiansuxuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Tianlin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Ruobin Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhichao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhiwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
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6
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Zhu H, Szymczyk A, Ghoufi A. Multiscale modelling of transport in polymer-based reverse-osmosis/nanofiltration membranes: present and future. DISCOVER NANO 2024; 19:91. [PMID: 38771417 PMCID: PMC11109084 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-024-04020-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) processes are physical separation technologies used to remove contaminants from liquid streams by employing dense polymer-based membranes with nanometric voids that confine fluids at the nanoscale. At this level, physical properties such as solvent and solute permeabilities are intricately linked to molecular interactions. Initially, numerous studies focused on developing macroscopic transport models to gain insights into separation properties at the nanometer scale. However, continuum-based models have limitations in nanoconfined situations that can be overcome by force field molecular simulations. Continuum-based models heavily rely on bulk properties, often neglecting critical factors like liquid structuring, pore geometry, and molecular/chemical specifics. Molecular/mesoscale simulations, while encompassing these details, often face limitations in time and spatial scales. Therefore, achieving a comprehensive understanding of transport requires a synergistic integration of both approaches through a multiscale approach that effectively combines and merges both scales. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in multiscale modeling of transport through NF/RO membranes, spanning from the nanoscale to continuum media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haochen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Rd., Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Anthony Szymczyk
- CNRS, ISCR (Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes) - UMR 6226, Univ Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France.
| | - Aziz Ghoufi
- CNRS, ICMPE (Institut de Chimie et des Matériaux Paris-Est) - UMR 7182, Univ Paris-East Creteil, 94320, Thiais, France.
- CNRS, IPR (Institut de Physique de Rennes) - UMR 6251, Univ Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France.
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7
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Hu P, Li H, Tan Y, Adeleye AS, Hao T. Enhanced electrochemical treatment of humic acids and metal ions in leachate concentrate: Experimental and molecular mechanism investigations. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 462:132774. [PMID: 37839382 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Membrane technologies are effective for treating leachate, but they generate leachate concentrates (LCs), which contain elevated humic acids (HAs) and metals. LCs are very challenging and expensive to treat; but in-situ coagulation-electrochemical oxidation (CO-EO) treatment is promising. We previously hypothesized and proved that substituting the widely used graphite cathode with an Al cathode will generate Al(OH)3 floccules that would enhance HAs removal in CO-EO systems. However, the fundamental mechanisms are unclear. Here, we examined this hypothesis using laboratory experiments (using an Al cathode and a Ti/Ti4O7 anode CO-EO system) and performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Up to 84.2% HAs was removed by the Al-cathode system, which is ∼10% higher than a graphite cathode-based system. Based on MD simulation we found that enhanced HAs removal occurred via two steps: (1) degradation by oxidants produced at the anode, and (2) subsequent coagulation with the Al(OH)3 generated from the Al cathode. This finding challenges the current belief that whole HAs and Al(OH)3 directly flocculate. Meanwhile, metal removal efficiency by the graphite cathode system was only 0.8-13.9%, which increased up to 13-folds at most when in the Al cathode system. This work provides new molecular-level insights into an efficient electrochemical treatment of LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Hu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Huankai Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yunkai Tan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Adeyemi S Adeleye
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2175, USA
| | - Tianwei Hao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China.
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8
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Heiranian M, Fan H, Wang L, Lu X, Elimelech M. Mechanisms and models for water transport in reverse osmosis membranes: history, critical assessment, and recent developments. Chem Soc Rev 2023. [PMID: 37889082 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00395g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Water scarcity is one of the greatest societal challenges facing humanity. Reverse osmosis (RO) desalination, a widely used membrane-based technology, has proven to be effective to augment water supply in water-stressed regions of our planet. However, progress in the design and development of RO membranes has been limited. To significantly enhance the performance of RO membranes, it is essential to acquire a deep understanding of the membrane separation and transport mechanisms. In this tutorial review, we cover the pivotal historical developments in RO technology, examine the chemical and physical properties of RO membrane materials, and critically review the models and mechanisms proposed for water transport in RO membranes. Based on recent experimental and computational findings, we conduct a thorough analysis of the key transport models-the solution-diffusion and pore-flow models-to assess their validity for accurately describing water transport in RO membranes. Our analysis involves examining the experimental evidence in favor of the solution-diffusion mechanism. Specifically, we explain whether the water content gradient within the membrane, cited as evidence for the key assumption in the solution-diffusion model, can drive a diffusive transport through RO membranes. Additionally, we review the recent molecular dynamics simulations which support the pore-flow mechanism for describing water transport in RO membranes. We conclude by providing future research directions aimed at addressing key knowledge gaps in water transport phenomena in RO membranes, with the goal of advancing the development of next-generation RO membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Heiranian
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, USA.
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7910, USA
| | - Hanqing Fan
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, USA.
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, USA.
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinglin Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, USA.
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9
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Bora P, Bhuyan C, Borah AR, Hazarika S. Carbon nanomaterials for designing next-generation membranes and their emerging applications. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:11320-11336. [PMID: 37671435 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc03490a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Carbon nanomaterials have enormous applications in various fields, such as adsorption, membrane separation, catalysis, electronics, capacitors, batteries, and medical sciences. Owing to their exceptional properties, such as large specific surface area, carrier mobility, flexibility, electrical conductivity, and optical pellucidity, the family of carbon nanomaterials is considered as one of the most studied group of materials to date. They are abundantly used in membrane science for multiple applications, such as the separation of organics, enantiomeric separation, gas separation, biomolecule separation, heavy metal separation, and wastewater treatment. This study provides an overview of the significant studies on carbon nanomaterial-based membranes and their emerging applications in our membrane research journey. The types of carbon nanomaterials, their utilization in membrane-based separations, and the mechanism involved are summarized in this study. Techniques for the fabrication of different nanocomposite membranes are also highlighted. Lastly, we have provided an overview of the existing issues and future scopes of carbon nanomaterial-based membranes for technological perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prarthana Bora
- Chemical Engineering Group and Centre for Petroleum Research CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat - 785006, Assam, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India
| | - Chinmoy Bhuyan
- Chemical Engineering Group and Centre for Petroleum Research CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat - 785006, Assam, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India
| | - Akhil Ranjan Borah
- Chemical Engineering Group and Centre for Petroleum Research CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat - 785006, Assam, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India
| | - Swapnali Hazarika
- Chemical Engineering Group and Centre for Petroleum Research CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat - 785006, Assam, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India
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10
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Zhu Z, Liu Z, Tan G, Qi J, Zhou Y, Li J. Interlayered Interface of a Thin Film Composite Janus Membrane for Sieving Volatile Substances in Membrane Distillation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:7612-7623. [PMID: 37104662 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Hypersaline wastewater treatment using membrane distillation (MD) has gained significant attention due to its ability to completely reject nonvolatile substances. However, a critical limitation of current MD membranes is their inability to intercept volatile substances owing to their large membrane pores. Additionally, the strong interaction between volatile substances and MD membranes underwater tends to cause membrane wetting. To overcome these challenges, we developed a dual-layer thin film composite (TFC) Janus membrane through electrospinning and sequential interfacial polymerization of a polyamide (PA) layer and cross-linking a polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylic acid (PP) layer. The resulting Janus membrane exhibited high flux (>27 L m-2 h-1), salt rejection of ∼100%, phenol rejection of ∼90%, and excellent resistance to wetting and fouling. The interlayered interface between the PA and PP layer allowed the sieve of volatile substances by limiting their dissolution-diffusion, with the increasing hydrogen bond network formation preventing their transport. In contrast, small water molecules with powerful dynamics were permeable through the TFC membrane. Both experimental and molecular dynamics simulation results elucidated the sieving mechanism. Our findings demonstrate that this type of TFC Janus membrane can serve as a novel strategy to design next-generation MD membranes against volatile and non-volatile contaminants, which can have significant implications in the treatment of complex hypersaline wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Zhu Liu
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311200, China
| | - Guangming Tan
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Junwen Qi
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Yujun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Jiansheng Li
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
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11
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Foo ZH, Rehman D, Bouma AT, Monsalvo S, Lienhard JH. Lithium Concentration from Salt-Lake Brine by Donnan-Enhanced Nanofiltration. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:6320-6330. [PMID: 37027336 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08584] [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] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Membranes offer a scalable and cost-effective approach to ion separations for lithium recovery. In the case of salt-lake brines, however, the high feed salinity and low pH of the post-treated feed have an uncertain impact on nanofiltration's selectivity. Here, we adopt experimental and computational approaches to analyze the effect of pH and feed salinity and elucidate key selectivity mechanisms. Our data set comprises over 750 original ion rejection measurements, spanning five salinities and two pH levels, collected using brine solutions that model three salt-lake compositions. Our results demonstrate that the Li+/Mg2+ selectivity of polyamide membranes can be enhanced by 13 times with acid-pretreated feed solutions. This selectivity enhancement is attributed to the amplified Donnan potential from the ionization of carboxyl and amino moieties under low solution pH. As feed salinities increase from 10 to 250 g L-1, the Li+/Mg2+ selectivity decreases by ∼43%, a consequence of weakening exclusion mechanisms. Further, our analysis accentuates the importance of measuring separation factors using representative solution compositions to replicate the ion-transport behaviors with salt-lake brine. Consequently, our results reveal that predictions of ion rejection and Li+/Mg2+ separation factors can be improved by up to 80% when feed solutions with the appropriate Cl-/SO42- molar ratios are used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Hao Foo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Center for Computational Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Danyal Rehman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Center for Computational Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Andrew T Bouma
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Sebastian Monsalvo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - John H Lienhard
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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12
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Wang L, He J, Heiranian M, Fan H, Song L, Li Y, Elimelech M. Water transport in reverse osmosis membranes is governed by pore flow, not a solution-diffusion mechanism. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf8488. [PMID: 37058571 PMCID: PMC10104469 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf8488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
We performed nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations and solvent permeation experiments to unravel the mechanism of water transport in reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. The NEMD simulations reveal that water transport is driven by a pressure gradient within the membranes, not by a water concentration gradient, in marked contrast to the classic solution-diffusion model. We further show that water molecules travel as clusters through a network of pores that are transiently connected. Permeation experiments with water and organic solvents using polyamide and cellulose triacetate RO membranes showed that solvent permeance depends on the membrane pore size, kinetic diameter of solvent molecules, and solvent viscosity. This observation is not consistent with the solution-diffusion model, where permeance depends on the solvent solubility. Motivated by these observations, we demonstrate that the solution-friction model, in which transport is driven by a pressure gradient, can describe water and solvent transport in RO membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
| | - Jinlong He
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1572, USA
| | - Mohammad Heiranian
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
| | - Hanqing Fan
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
| | - Lianfa Song
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1023, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1572, USA
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
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Ricci E, Vergadou N. Integrating Machine Learning in the Coarse-Grained Molecular Simulation of Polymers. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:2302-2322. [PMID: 36888553 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c06354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Machine learning (ML) is having an increasing impact on the physical sciences, engineering, and technology and its integration into molecular simulation frameworks holds great potential to expand their scope of applicability to complex materials and facilitate fundamental knowledge and reliable property predictions, contributing to the development of efficient materials design routes. The application of ML in materials informatics in general, and polymer informatics in particular, has led to interesting results, however great untapped potential lies in the integration of ML techniques into the multiscale molecular simulation methods for the study of macromolecular systems, specifically in the context of Coarse Grained (CG) simulations. In this Perspective, we aim at presenting the pioneering recent research efforts in this direction and discussing how these new ML-based techniques can contribute to critical aspects of the development of multiscale molecular simulation methods for bulk complex chemical systems, especially polymers. Prerequisites for the implementation of such ML-integrated methods and open challenges that need to be met toward the development of general systematic ML-based coarse graining schemes for polymers are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Ricci
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", GR-15341 Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
- Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications, National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", GR-15341 Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
| | - Niki Vergadou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", GR-15341 Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
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14
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Perry LA, Chew NGP, Grzebyk K, Cay-Durgun P, Lind ML, Sitaula P, Soukri M, Coronell O. Correlating the Role of Nanofillers with Active Layer Properties and Performance of Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes. DESALINATION 2023; 550:116370. [PMID: 37274380 PMCID: PMC10237506 DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2023.116370] [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
Thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes are emerging water-purification membranes that could provide enhanced water permeance with similar solute removal over traditional thin-film composite (TFC) membranes. However, the effects of nanofiller incorporation on active layer physico-chemical properties have not been comprehensively studied. Accordingly, we aimed to understand the correlation between nanofillers, active layer physico-chemical properties, and membrane performance by investigating whether observed performance differences between TFN and control TFC membranes correlated with observed differences in physico-chemical properties. The effects of nanofiller loading, surface area, and size on membrane performance, along with active layer physico-chemical properties, were characterized in TFN membranes incorporated with Linde Type A (LTA) zeolite and zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8). Results show that nanofiller incorporation up to ~0.15 wt% resulted in higher water permeance and unchanged salt rejection, above which salt rejection decreased 0.9-25.6% and 26.1-48.3% for LTA-TFN and ZIF-8-TFN membranes, respectively. Observed changes in active layer physico-chemical properties were generally unsubstantial and did not explain observed changes in TFN membrane performance. Therefore, increased water permeance in TFN membranes could be due to preferential water transport through porous structures of nanofillers or along polymer-nanofiller interfaces. These findings offer new insights into the development of high-performance TFN membranes for water/ion separations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamar A. Perry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
- Curriculum in Applied Sciences and Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - 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, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Kasia Grzebyk
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Pinar Cay-Durgun
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Mary Laura Lind
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Paban Sitaula
- RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC 27709-2194, USA
| | - Mustapha Soukri
- RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC 27709-2194, USA
| | - Orlando Coronell
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
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15
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Allouzi M, Imbrogno A, Schäfer AI. Energy Barriers for Steroid Hormone Transport in Nanofiltration. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:16811-16821. [PMID: 36367435 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04658] [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: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Nanofiltration (NF) membranes can retain micropollutants (MPs) to a large extent, even though adsorption into the membrane and gradual permeation result in breakthrough and incomplete removal. The permeation of MPs is investigated by examining the energy barriers (determined using the Arrhenius concept) for adsorption, intrapore diffusion, and permeation encountered by four different steroid hormones in tight and loose NF membranes. Results show that the energy barriers for steroid hormone transport in tight membrane are entropically dominated and underestimated because of the high steric exclusion at the pore entrance. In contrast, the loose NF membrane enables steroid hormones partitioning at the pore entrance, with a permeation energy barrier (from feed toward the permeate side) ranging between 96 and 116 kJ/mol. The contribution of adsorption and intrapore diffusion to the energy barrier for steroid hormone permeation reveals a significant role of intrapore diffusive transport on the obtained permeation energy barrier. Overall, the breakthrough phenomenon observed during the NF of MPs is facilitated by the low energy barrier for adsorption. Experimental evidence of such principles is relevant for understanding mechanisms and ultimately improving the selectivity of NF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Allouzi
- Institute for Advanced Membrane Technology (IAMT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Alessandra Imbrogno
- Institute for Advanced Membrane Technology (IAMT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Andrea I Schäfer
- Institute for Advanced Membrane Technology (IAMT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
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16
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Zuo Q, Shi H, Liu C, Peng M, Zhuang X, Geng Z, He S, Sheng X, Shao P, Yang L, Luo X. Integrated adsorptive/reductive PEDOT:PSS-based composite membranes for efficient Ag(I) rejection. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.121323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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17
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Zhai X, Wang YL, Dai R, Li X, Wang Z. Roles of Anion-Cation Coupling Transport and Dehydration-Induced Ion-Membrane Interaction in Precise Separation of Ions by Nanofiltration Membranes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:14069-14079. [PMID: 36126287 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nanofiltration (NF) membranes are playing increasingly crucial roles in addressing emerging environmental challenges by precise separation, yet understanding of the selective transport mechanism is still limited. In this work, the underlying mechanisms governing precise selectivity of the polyamide NF membrane were elucidated using a series of monovalent cations with minor hydrated radius difference. The observed selectivity of a single cation was neither correlated with the hydrated radius nor hydration energy, which could not be explained by the widely accepted NF model or ion dehydration theory. Herein, we employed an Arrhenius approach combined with Monte Carlo simulation to unravel that the transmembrane process of the cation would be dominated by its pairing anion, if the anion has a greater transmembrane energy barrier, due to the constraint of anion-cation coupling transport. Molecular dynamics simulations further revealed that the distinct hydration structure was the primary origin of the energy barrier difference of cations. The cation having a larger incompressible structure after partial dehydration through subnanopores would induce a more significant ion-membrane interaction and consequently a higher energy barrier. Moreover, to validate our proposed mechanisms, a membrane grafting modification toward enlarging the energy barrier difference of dominant ions achieved a 3-fold enhancement in ion separation efficiency. Our work provides insights into the precise separation of ionic species by NF membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohu Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yong-Lei Wang
- Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Ruobin Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xuesong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhiwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
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18
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Shefer I, Lopez K, Straub AP, Epsztein R. Applying Transition-State Theory to Explore Transport and Selectivity in Salt-Rejecting Membranes: A Critical Review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:7467-7483. [PMID: 35549171 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Membrane technologies using reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) have been widely implemented in water purification and desalination processes. Separation between species at the molecular level is achievable in RO and NF membranes due to a complex and poorly understood combination of transport mechanisms that have attracted the attention of researchers within and beyond the membrane community for many years. Minimizing existing knowledge gaps in transport through these membranes can improve the sustainability of current water-treatment processes and expand the use of RO and NF membranes to other applications that require high selectivity between species. Since its establishment in 1949, and with growing popularity in recent years, Eyring's transition-state theory (TST) for transmembrane permeation has been applied in numerous studies to mechanistically explore molecular transport in membranes including RO and NF. In this review, we critically assess TST applied to transmembrane permeation in salt-rejecting membranes, focusing on mechanistic insights into transport under confinement that can be gained from this framework and the key limitations associated with the method. We first demonstrate and discuss the limited ability of the commonly used solution-diffusion model to mechanistically explain transport and selectivity trends observed in RO and NF membranes. Next, we review important milestones in the development of TST, introduce its underlying principles and equations, and establish the connection to transmembrane permeation with a focus on molecular-level enthalpic and entropic barriers that govern water and solute transport under confinement. We then critically review the application of TST to explore transport in RO and NF membranes, analyzing trends in measured enthalpic and entropic barriers and synthesizing new data to highlight important phenomena associated with the temperature-dependent measurement of the activation parameters. We also discuss major limitations of the experimental application of TST and propose specific solutions to minimize the uncertainties surrounding the current approach. We conclude with identifying future research needs to enhance the implementation and maximize the benefit of TST application to transmembrane permeation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idit Shefer
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Kian Lopez
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0428, United States
| | - Anthony P Straub
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0428, United States
| | - Razi Epsztein
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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