Abstract
Pervaporation (PV) has been an intriguing membrane technology for separating liquid mixtures since its commercialization in the 1980s. The design of highly permselective materials used in this respect has made significant improvements in separation properties, such as selectivity, permeability, and long-term stability. Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs), featuring inorganic fillers dispersed in a polymer matrix to form an organic–inorganic hybrid, have opened up a new avenue to facilely obtain high-performance PV membranes. The combination of inorganic fillers in a polymer matrix endows high flexibility in designing the required separation properties of the membranes, in which various fillers provide specific functions correlated to the separation process. This review discusses recent advances in the use of nanofillers in PV MMMs categorized by dimensions including zero-, one-, two- and three-dimensional nanomaterials. Furthermore, the impact of the nanofillers on the polymer matrix is described to provide in-depth understanding of the structure–performance relationship. Finally, the applications of nanofillers in MMMs for PV separation are summarized.
Highlights
With the rapid development over the past 40 years, membrane technologies have been increasingly deployed for industrial processes, including wastewater treatment [1], desalination [2], organic solvent dehydration [3] and gas separation (CO2 removal, H2 isolation, O2 enrichment) [4]
The results showed that carboxyl functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) had good interfacial compatibility, whereas the nonfunctionalized CNTs intertwined significantly in the polymer matrix
The corresponding separation performances suggested that the excellent interfacial compatibility and subsequent good dispersion of functionalized CNTs enhanced the transport of water while effectively blocking ions, showing great potential for the practical application of PV for desalination
Summary
With the rapid development over the past 40 years, membrane technologies have been increasingly deployed for industrial processes, including wastewater treatment [1], desalination [2], organic solvent dehydration [3] and gas separation (CO2 removal, H2 isolation, O2 enrichment) [4]. Inorganic materials’ own merits include resistance to harsh chemical environments, good rigidity and high thermal stability [21] These properties show attractive promise for long-term membrane operation. Unconventional methods including in situ polymerization of a polymer matrix or synthesis of fillers have been applied in the development of PV MMMs. Mao et al used metal organic framework (MOF) precursors to generate zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) nanoparticles in a PDMS matrix in situ and obtained simultaneous enhancement in permeability and selectivity for ethanol dehydration [28]. Owing to the abundance of dimensional nanomaterials, as well as their specific chemistry, different combinations between nanofillers and polymers give rise to great flexibility in the design of hybrid membrane structures. We review the current developments of PV MMMs with a special focus on the dimensional
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