Abstract
Mesoporous silica molecular sieves are emerging candidates for a number of potential applications involving adsorption and molecular transport due to their large surface areas, high pore volumes, and tunable pore sizes. Recently, several research groups have investigated the potential of functionalized mesoporous silica molecular sieves as advanced materials in separation devices, such as membranes. In particular, mesoporous silica with a two- or three-dimensional pore structure is one of the most promising types of molecular sieve materials for gas separation membranes. However, several important challenges must first be addressed regarding the successful fabrication of mesoporous silica membranes. First, a novel, high throughput process for the fabrication of continuous and defect-free mesoporous silica membranes is required. Second, functionalization of mesopores on membranes is desirable in order to impart selective properties. Finally, the separation characteristics and performance of functionalized mesoporous silica membranes must be further investigated. Herein, the synthesis, characterization, and applications of mesoporous silica membranes and functionalized mesoporous silica membranes are reviewed with a focus on CO2separation.
Highlights
To overcome the increasing challenges posed by the need for new energy sources and environmental protection, advanced molecular separation and purification technologies are required
Membrane-based separations are becoming increasingly relevant for a number of applications due to their low energy requirements and steady-state operations [6,7,8,9]
Membrane separation can be further classified into pervaporation [12], microfiltration, ultrafiltration [13], nanofiltration [14], reverse osmosis [15], and forward osmosis [15] depending on the manner of membrane operation and its pore range
Summary
To overcome the increasing challenges posed by the need for new energy sources and environmental protection, advanced molecular separation and purification technologies are required. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KIT) [25], and anionic-surfactant-templated mesoporous silica (AMS) [26] families Many of these mesoporous materials (see Figure 1) have been explored for separation applications [27]. A number of studies on the adsorption uptake of acidic gases such as CO2 by mesoporous silica molecular sieves have been reported [27, 28] Mesoporous silica, such as SBA-15 [29], MCM-41 [30], and MCM-48 [31], were shown to be good supports for separation membranes, offering selectivity over other gases such as CH4 and N2. Since gas separation is derived from transport phenomena and mesostructures are a framework of gas transport, a 3D structure with interconnected pores is highly preferred to overcome the limitation of diffusion Modification of these molecular sieves with organic groups is required to tailor their specific sorption capacities [32]. Amine-functionalized mesoporous silica membranes and their use for CO2 gas separation are discussed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
