Abstract
This manuscript describes a facile method to prepare a series of novel crosslinked gemini lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) materials. In comparison with previously reported crosslinkable LLC monomers requiring lengthy, harsh and expensive synthetic protocols, herein this new acrylate-type LLC monomer can be conveniently prepared in two steps and is highly stable at ambient temperatures. This new LLC monomer predominantly forms lamellar lyotropic mesophase, and meanwhile when mixed with 17–22 wt% water at 55 – 79°C, it presents an unidentified X phase which is quite similar to bicontinuous cubic phase. The corresponding UV-crosslinked LLC membrane containing a mixture of LLC monomer, H2O, butyl rubber (BR) and a photo-initiator can retain the original mesophase and build hydrophilic nanochannels. To test the water permeability, the LLC/BR mixtures are further coated onto a polyethersulfone (PES)-supported membrane by hot-pressing and photo-crosslinking. The average water vapour flux of an X-phase LLC/BR-PES composite membrane is 630 ± 50 g·m−2·day−1, which is higher than the performances of L-phase LLC/BR-PES composite membranes (310 ± 20 – 510 ± 40 g·m−2·day−1). In comparison with previously reported corsslinked LLC membranes (200 – 440 g·m−2·day−1), the water permeability properties of these novel membranes are highly competitive.
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