Ionic strength directed self-assembled polyelectrolyte single-bilayer membrane for low-pressure nanofiltration

Layer-by-layer assembly is a versatile technique for fabricating nanofiltration membranes, where multiple layers of polyelectrolytes are usually required to achieve reasonable separation performance. In this work, an ionic strength directed self-assembly procedure is described for the preparation of nanofiltration membranes consisting of only a single bilayer of poly(diallyldimethylammoniumchloride) and poly(sodium-4-styrenesulfoate). The influence of background ionic strength as well as membrane substrate properties on the formation of single-bilayer membranes are systematically evaluated. Such a simplified polyelectrolyte deposition procedure results in membranes having outstanding separation performance with permeating flux of 14.2 ± 1.5 L∙m^–2∙h^–1∙bar^–1 and Na₂SO₄ rejection of 97.1% ± 0.8% under a low applied pressure of 1 bar. These results surpass the ones for conventional multilayered polyelectrolyte membranes. This work encompasses an investigation of ionic strength induced coiling of the polyelectrolyte chains and emphasizes the interplay between-polyelectrolyte chain configuration and substrate pore profile. It thus introduces a new concept on the control of membrane fabrication process toward high performance nanofiltration.     

Novel polyethyleneimine/TMC-based nanofiltration membrane prepared on a polydopamine coated substrate

Most commercial NF membranes are negatively charged at the pH range of a typical feed solution. In order to enhance the removal of cations (such as Mg²⁺ or Ca²⁺), we utilized polyethyleneimine (PEI) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) to perform interfacial polymerization reaction on a polydopamine coated hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile substrate to obtain a positively charged nanofiltration membrane. Effects of polydopamine coating time, PEI concentration, TMC reaction time and concentration on the membrane physicochemical properties and separation performance were systematically investigated using scanning electron microscopy, streaming potential and water contact angle measurements. The optimal NF membrane showed high rejection for divalent ions (93.6±2.6% for MgSO₄, 92.4±1.3% for MgCl₂, and 90.4±2.1% for Na₂SO₄), accompanied with NaCl rejection of 27.8±2.5% with a permeation flux of 17.2±2.8 L·m⁻²·h⁻¹ at an applied pressure of 8 bar (salt concentrations were all 1000 mg·L⁻¹). The synthesized membranes showed promising potentials for the applications of water softening.     

Preparation and properties of hollow fibre nanofiltration membrane with continuous coffee-ring structure

Polyamide(PA)hollow fibre composite nanofiltration(NF)membranes with a coffee-ring structure and beneficial properties were prepared by adding graphene oxide(GO)into the interfacial polymerization process.The presentation of the coffee-ring structure was attributed to the heterogeneous,finely dispersed multiphase reaction system and the“coffee-stain”effect of the GO solution.When the piperazine concentration was 0.4 wt-%,the trimesoyl chloride concentration was 0.3 wt-%,and the GO concentration was 0.025 wt-%,the prepared NF membranes showed the best separation properties.The permeate flux was 76 L·m^?2·h^?1,and the rejection rate for MgSO4 was 98.6%at 0.4 MPa.Scanning electron microscopy,atomic force microscopy,and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the chemical structure and morphology of the PA/GO NF membrane.The results showed that GO was successfully entrapped into the PA functional layer.Under neutral operating conditions,the PA/GO membrane showed typical negatively charged NF membrane separation characteristics,and the rejection rate decreased in the order of Na2SO₄>MgSO₄>MgCl₂>NaCl.The PA/GO NF membrane showed better antifouling performance than the PA membrane.     

Fabrication of high-performance pervaporation composite membrane for alkaline wastewater reclamation

Pervaporation desalination has a unique advantage to recycle concentrated salt solutions. The merit can be applied to treat alkaline wastewater if the membrane has superior alkali-resistance. In this paper, we used polyethylene microfiltration membrane as the substrate and deposited a glutaraldehyde crosslinked sodium carboxymethylcellulose layer by spray-coating. Pervaporation flux of the composite membrane reached 35 ± 2 kg·m^–2·h^–1 with a sodium chloride rejection of 99.9% ± 0.1% when separating a 3.5 wt-% sodium chloride solution at 70 °C. The desalination performance was stable after soaking the membrane in a 20 wt-% NaOH solution at room temperature for 9 d and in a 10 wt-% NaOH solution at 60 °C for 80 h. Moreover, the membrane was stable in 4 wt-% sulfuric acid and a 500 mg·L⁻¹ sodium hypochlorite solution. In a process of concentrating a NaOH solution from 5 to 10 wt-% at 60 °C, an average water flux of 23 kg·m^–2·h^–1 with a NaOH rejection over 99.98% was obtained.     

超声作用对NaCl和MgSO4溶液在纳滤膜内传质的影响

将超声波用于强化电解质溶液在纳滤膜内的传质过程,研究超声作用下NaCl和MgSO₄溶液在聚酰胺纳滤膜内的传质机理,考察超声作用对膜通量、截留率和跨膜电位随跨膜压差变化规律的影响。实验结果表明,与无超声作用相比,施加在膜表面的超声作用增大了膜通量,降低了截留率,提高了跨膜电位。     

Fabrication of a superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic stainless steel mesh for oil/water separation with ultrahigh flux

Because of the increasing amount of oily wastewater produced each day, it is important to develop superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic oil/water separation membranes with ultrahigh flux and high separation efficiency. In this paper, a superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic N-isopropylacrylamide-coated stainless steel mesh was prepared through a simple and convenient graft polymerization approach. The obtained mesh was able to separate oil/water mixtures only by gravity. In addition, the mesh showed high-efficiency separation ability (99.2%) and ultrahigh flux (235239 L∙m^–2∙h^–1). Importantly, due to the complex cross-linked bilayer structure, the prepared mesh exhibited good recycling performance and chemical stability in highly saline, alkaline and acidic environments.     

Flow synthesis of a novel zirconium-based UiO-66 nanofiltration membrane and its performance in the removal of p-nitrophenol from water

In this work, a thin zirconium-based UiO-66 membrane was successfully prepared on an alumina hollow fiber tube by flow synthesis, and was used in an attempt to remove p-nitrophenol from water through a nanofiltration process. Two main factors, including flow rate and synthesis time, were investigated to optimize the conditions for membrane growth. Under optimal synthesis conditions, a thin UiO-66 membrane of approximately 2 µm in thickness was fabricated at a flow rate of 4 mL·h⁻¹ for 30 h. The p-nitrophenol rejection rate for the as-prepared UiO-66 membrane applied in the removal of p-nitrophenol from water was only 78.1% due to the existence of membrane defects caused by coordinative defects during membrane formation. Post-synthetic modification of the UiO-66 membrane was carried out using organic linkers with the same flow approach to further improve the nanofiltration performance. The result showed that the p-nitrophenol rejection for the post-modified membrane was greatly improved and reached over 95%. Moreover, the post-modified UiO-66 membrane exhibited remarkable long-term operational stability, which is vital for practical application.     

Effect of sodium bicarbonate solution on methyltrimethoxysilane-derived silica aerogels dried at ambient pressure

Here we present an economical ambient pressure drying method of preparing monolithic silica aerogels from methyltrimethoxysilane precursor while using sodium bicarbonate solution as the exchanging solvent. We prepared silica aerogels with a density and a specific surface area of 0.053 g∙cm⁻³ and 423 m²∙g⁻¹, respectively. The average pore diameter of silica aerogels is 23 nm as the pore specific volume is 1.11 cm³∙g⁻¹. Further, the contact angle between water droplet and the surface of silica aerogels in specific condition can be as high as 166°, which indicates a super-hydrophobic surface of aerogels.     

发酵液的组成对纳滤分离谷氨酰胺的影响

研究了谷氨酰胺发酵液中盐离子对纳滤分离提取谷氨酰铵的作用，系统地考察了操作温度和发酵液组成对纳滤分离透过特性的影响，确定了纳滤分离时发酵液最佳稀释倍数和操作温度. 结果表明，二价阳离子通过改变膜面电荷密度对谷氨酸的透过特性产生很大影响，使其截留率降低了8%. 发酵液中较高浓度的(NH4)2SO4使谷氨酸和谷氨酰胺的截留率和透过通量明显降低，但较高浓度的NH4Cl影响较小，这体现了纳滤膜对不同离子排斥力的差异. 当发酵液稀释至谷氨酰胺浓度为1%，pH调至7时，发酵液中的其它盐离子和残糖因浓度较低而对纳滤分离影响不显著.     

利用纳滤膜分离精制饱和卤水的研究

针对饱和卤水直接制碱过程需要去除硫酸根、钙离子、镁离子（SO₄^2-、Ca²⁺、Mg²⁺）等杂质离子的问题,探索了利用纳滤膜分离精制饱和卤水新工艺。通过考察NF270、DL2540、ESNA1 3种类型纳滤膜的透过通量和离子截留率,确定了选用DL2540为实验用膜;分析了DL2540纳滤膜对离子的截留性能和对盐田饱和卤水的分离性能及其对饱和卤水精制的效果。结果表明,增加同离子浓度、降低压力有利于不同价态阳离子、阴离子间的分离,DL2540纳滤膜对盐田饱和卤水中SO₄^2-、Ca²⁺、Mg²⁺截留率分别达到95%以上、30%~50%、30%~70%,对Na⁺、Cl^-截留率均低于15%,进一步证明DL2540纳滤膜具有较好的稳定性和二价离子截留效果,在饱和卤水精制上展示出较好的应用前景。     

Superior performance in visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution reaction of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous SrTiO3 decorated with ZnxCd1−xS

It is of broad interest to develop emerging photocatalysts with excellent light-harvesting capacity and high charge carrier separation efficiency for visible light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction. However, achieving satisfying hydrogen evolution efficiency under noble metal-free conditions remains challenging. In this study, we demonstrate the fabrication of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous SrTiO₃ decorated with Zn_xCd_1−xS nanoparticles for hydrogen production under visible light irradiation (λ>420 nm). Synergetic enhancement of photocatalytic activity is achieved by the slow photon effect and improved separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers. The obtained composites could afford very high hydrogen production efficiencies up to 19.67 mmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹, with an apparent quantum efficiency of 35.9% at 420 nm, which is 4.2 and 23.9 times higher than those of pure Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S (4.67 mmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹) and CdS (0.82 mmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹), respectively. In particular, under Pt-free conditions, an attractive hydrogen production rate (3.23 mmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹) was achieved, providing a low-cost and high-efficiency strategy to produce hydrogen from water splitting. Moreover, the composites showed excellent stability, and no obvious loss in activity was observed after five cycling tests.     

Theoretical study on Janus graphene oxide membrane for water transport

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes have received considerable attention owing to their outstanding water-permeation properties; however, the effect of the membrane’s microstructures (such as the distribution of oxidized and pristine regions) on the transport mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we performed molecular simulations to explore the permeation of a water–ethanol mixture using a new type of Janus GO membranes with different orientations of oxidized and pristine surfaces. The results indicate that the oxidized upper surface endows the GO membrane with considerable water-capture capability and the in-built oxidized interlayer promotes the effective vertical diffusion of water molecules. Consequently, using the optimized Janus GO membrane, infinite water selectivity and outstanding water flux (~40.9 kg⋅m⁻²⋅h⁻¹) were achieved. This study contributes to explaining the role of oxidized regions in water permeation via GO membranes and suggests that Janus GO membranes could be used as potential candidates for water–ethanol separation.     

Effect of adding a smart potassium ion-responsive copolymer into polysulfone support membrane on the performance of thin-film composite nanofiltration membrane

Thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membranes were fabricated via the interfacial polymerization of piperazine (PIP) and 1,3,5-benzenetricart)oiiyl trichloride on polysulfone (PSf) support membranes blended with K^+-responsive poly(N-isopropylacryamideco- acryloylamidobenzo-15-crown-5)(P(NIPAM-co- AAB15C5)). Membranes were characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscope, scanning electron microscope, contact angle, and filtration tests. The results showed that:(1) Under K^+-free conditions, the blended P(NIPAM-co-AAB15C5)/PSf supports had porous and hydrophilic surfaces, thereby producing NF membranes with smooth surfaces and low MgSO4 rejections;(2) With K^+ in the PIP solution, the surface roughness and water permeability of the resultant NF membrane were increased due to the K^+-induced transition of low-content P(NIPAM-co-AAB15C5) from hydrophilic to hydrophobic;(3) After a curing treatment at 95℃, the improved NF membrane achieved an even higher pure water permeability of 10.97 L·m^-2·h^-1 - bar1 under 200 psi. Overall, this study provides a novel method to improve the performance of NF membranes and helps understand the influence of supports on TFC membranes.     

氯化聚氯乙烯复合纳滤膜的制备及其在模拟RB5染料废水处理中的应用

以氯化聚氯乙烯（CPVC）超滤膜为基膜,采用单宁酸（TA）和哌嗪（PIP）在CPVC膜表面共沉积后与交联剂均苯三甲酰氯（TMC）进行界面聚合得到PA/TA/CPVC复合纳滤膜,采用扫描电镜（SEM）、原子力显微镜（AFM）、红外光谱及接触角对PA/TA/CPVC复合纳滤膜进行了表征,并探讨了干燥时间、TA/PIP浓度比、TA+PIP总浓度、TMC浓度对PA/TA/CPVC复合纳滤膜微观结构与性能的影响。结果表明,TA/PIP浓度比最佳为7/3,TA/PIP层的最佳干燥时间为20min,PA/TA/CPVC复合纳滤膜的纯水通量随着TA+PIP总浓度的增加和TMC浓度的增加而减少,对PEG1000的截留率均在90%以上。PA/TA/CPVC复合纳滤膜纯水通量最大值为4.5L/(m² · h · bar),此时PEG1000的截留率达到95.8%。对模拟RB5染料废水的最大通量为4.3L/(m² · h · bar),此时RB5的截留率为95.4%,对模拟RB5染料废水的稳定性较好。     

Efficient MgO-doped CaO sorbent pellets for high temperature CO2 capture

Novel MgO-doped CaO sorbent pellets were prepared by gel-casting and wet impregnation. The effect of Na⁺ and MgO on the structure and CO₂ adsorption performance of CaO sorbent pellets was elucidated. MgO-doped CaO sorbent pellets with the diameter range of 0.5-1.5 mm exhibited an excellent capacity for CO₂ adsorption and adsorption rate due to the homogeneous dispersion of MgO in the sorbent pellets and its effects on the physical structure of sorbents. The results show that MgO can effectively inhibit the sintering of CaO and retain the adsorption capacity of sorbents during multiple adsorption-desorption cycles. The presence of mesopores and macropores resulted in appreciable change of volume from CaO (16.7 cm³∙mol⁻¹) to CaCO₃ (36.9 cm³∙mol⁻¹) over repeated operation cycles. Ca2Mg1 sorbent pellets exhibited favorable CO₂ capture capacity (9.49 mmol∙g⁻¹), average adsorption rate (0.32 mmol∙g⁻¹∙min⁻¹) and conversion rate of CaO (74.83%) after 30 cycles.     

纳米粒子/氧化石墨烯改性复合膜制备及其分离性能研究

采用真空抽滤-压力喷涂的方法，以聚酰胺纳滤膜为基膜，制备了氧化石墨烯和二氧化钛纳米粒子质量比为1∶1、2∶1、3∶1和4∶1的复合膜GOT1、GOT2、GOT3和GOT4以及氧化石墨烯和二氧化硅纳米粒子质量比为1∶1、2∶1、3∶1和4∶1的复合膜GOS1、GOS2、GOS3和GOS4。通过SEM、EDS、XPS和GIWAXS方法对GOT复合膜和GOS复合膜进行了分析表征，结果表明，氧化石墨烯和纳米粒子均匀负载在聚酰胺纳滤膜表面。研究了复合膜的性能，并推测了复合膜的净水机理。其中GOT复合膜在0.75 MPa下水通量可达50 L·m^-2·h^-1,相较于原始基膜提高了25%,显示出了最佳的水通量性能，并且在保持较高通量的同时，对盐溶液和重金属离子的截留率仍能维持在90%左右。真空抽滤-压力喷涂的方法为氧化石墨烯复合膜的制备提供一种新的工艺思路，为废水处理提供了一种更高净化效率的复合膜。     

Reductant-assisted polydopamine-modified membranes for efficient water purification

Surface engineering with polydopamine coatings has been considered a promising surface functionalisation tool.However,it is difficult to control the self-polymerisation for polydopamine formation,which usually causes severe interparticle aggregation.In this study,polydopamine self-polymerisation was controlled by adjusting its reducing environment using a reductant(NaBH4)to fabricate mixed cellulose ester(MCE)/polydopamine membranes.An oxidising environment using NaIO4 was additionally tested as the control.The results showed that a thin polydopamine coating with small polydopamine particles was formed on the skeleton frameworks of the MCE membrane with NaBH4,and the self-polymerisation rate was suppressed.The polydopamine coating formed in the reducing environment facilitated excellent water transport performance with a water permeance of approximately 400 L·m^?2·h^?1·bar^?1 as well as efficient organic foulant removal with a bovine serum albumin rejection of approximately 90%.In addition,the polydopamine coating with NaBH4 exhibited both excellent chemical stability and anti-microbial activity,demonstrating the contribution of the reducing environment to the performance of the MCE/polydopamine membranes.It shows significant potential for use in water purification.     

New polymeric membrane nanofiltration for succinate recovery: a comparative study

Bio-based succinic acid recovery from fermentation broth has remained a challenge in the separation industry due the presence of by-products with similar physicochemical properties. In this work, the selective separation of succinate from succinate model solutions and the actual fermentation broth were investigated using newly fabricated polyimide P84 (PI) nanofiltration (NF) membrane and compared with three types of commercial pressure filtration membranes namely NF1, NF2 and NF270. Results show that PI membrane demonstrated comparable inorganic salt rejections performance as the commercial NF membranes of 86% and 99% for NaCl and Na₂SO₄, respectively. However PI shows much lower surface roughness, beneficial in reducing the fouling effect. PI also demonstrated equivalent performance for succinate permeation flux and retention at high concentration as the commercial membranes. PI exhibited high succinate retention (95%) in actual fermentation broth, equivalent to the commercial membranes (92–99%) and also higher selectivity factor (SF) < 0.14 compared to the NF1 membrane, SF < 0.19. Thus the PI membrane could give better succinate recovery against other carboxylates in the fermentation broth than the commercial membranes.     

Fe2Mo3O8 nanoparticles self-assembling 3D mesoporous hollow spheres toward superior lithium storage properties

Unique self-assembled iron(II)molybdenum(IV)oxide(Fe₂Mo₃O₈)mesoporous hollow spheres have been facilely constructed via the bubble-template-assisted hydrothermal synthesis method combined with simple calcination.The compact assembly of small nanoparticles on the surface of the hollow spheres not only provides more active sites for the Fe₂Mo₃O₈,but also benefits the stability of the hollow structure,and thus improved the lithium storage properties of Fe2Mo3O8.The Fe₂Mo₃O₈ mesoporous hollow spheres exhibit high initial discharge and charge capacities of 1189 and 997 mA?h?g^?1 respectively,as well as good long-term cycling stability(866 mA?h?g^?1 over 70 cycles)when used as a lithium-ion battery anode.This feasible material synthesis strategy will inspire the variation of structural design in other ternary metal molybdates.     

Expression and characterization of a CALB-type lipase from Sporisorium reilianum SRZ2 and its potential in short-chain flavor ester synthesis

A lipase from Sporisorium reilianum SRZ2 (SRL) with 73% amino acid sequence identity to Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) was cloned and overexpressed in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant SRL showed a preference for short-chain p-nitrophenyl esters. It achieved maximum activity at pH 8.0 and 65°C for p-nitrophenyl hexanoate (C6) with K_m and k_cat/K_m values of 0.14 mmol∙L⁻¹ and 1712 min⁻¹∙mmol∙L₋₁ at 30°C, respectively. SRL displayed excellent thermostability and pH stability, retaining more than 79% of its initial activity after incubation at 60°C for 72 h and 75% at pH 3 to 11 for 72 h. It also maintained most of its activity in the presence of inhibitors and detergents except sodium dodecyl sulfate, and it tolerated organic solvents. SRL was covalently immobilized and successfully used for ethyl hexanoate synthesis in cyclohexane or in a solvent-free system with a high conversion yield (>95%). Furthermore, high conversion yield was also achieved for the synthesis of various short-chain flavor esters when high substrate concentrations of 2 mol∙L⁻¹ were applied. This study indicated that a CALB-type lipase from S. reilianum SRZ2 showed great potential in organic ester synthesis.