Molecularly tunable thin-film nanocomposite membranes with enhanced molecular sieving for organic solvent forward osmosis.

Nature Communications
Bofan LiTai-Shung Chung

Abstract

Thin-film nanocomposites (TFN) functionalized with tunable molecular-sieving nanomaterials have been employed to tailor membranes, with an enhanced permeability and selectivity. Herein, water-soluble hollow cup-like macrocyclic molecules, sulfothiacalix[4]arene (STCAss) and sulfocalix[4]arene (SCA), are ionically bonded into the polyamide network to engineer the molecular-sieving properties of TFN membranes for organic solvent forward osmosis (OSFO). Introducing both STCAss and SCA into the polyamide network not only increases the free volume, but also reduces the thickness of the TFN layers. Combining with their molecularly tunable size of the lower cavities, both STCAss and SCA enable the TFN membranes to size exclusively reject the draw solutes, but only STCAss-functionalized membrane has an ethanol flux doubling the pristine one under the FO and PRO modes in OSFO processes; leading the functionalized polyamide network with remarkable improvements in OSFO performance. This study may provide insights to molecularly functionalize TFN membranes using multifunctional nano-fillers for sustainable separations.

References

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Jan 17, 2008·Chemical Society Reviews·Pieter VandezandeIvo F J Vankelecom
Apr 23, 2010·Environmental Science & Technology·Ngai Yin YipMenachem Elimelech
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Apr 14, 2018·Nature Communications·Yue Cui, Tai-Shung Chung

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Citations

Nov 11, 2020·Angewandte Chemie·Haozhen DouZhongwei Chen
Mar 7, 2021·Polymers·Yu-Hsuan ChiaoS Ranil Wickramasinghe
May 14, 2020·Environmental Science & Technology·Mingming ZhangChuyang Y Tang
Sep 3, 2020·Environmental Science & Technology·Yuanmiaoliang ChenTai-Shung Chung

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
AFM
atomic force microscopy
scanning electron microscopy
X-ray

Software Mentioned

SCA
STCAss
Material Studio

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