Finger-like Pore Structure Research Articles

The preparation technology and catalytic mechanism of PVDF/PVP/a-MoSx porous membrane for water flow driven piezoelectric PMS activation

Piezoelectric catalysis couples with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation technology can efficiently increase the yield of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Herein, a novel flexible polyvinylidene difluoride/polyvinyl pyrrolidone/amorphous molybdenum sulfide (PVDF/PVP/a-MoSx) membrane with finger-like pore structure was prepared by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. As a result, a-MoSx nanosheets can be exposed out of the pores to provide multiple active sites. The PVDF/PVP/a-MoSx with large dipole moment can form enhanced polarization field under water flow to accelerate the charges separation and transfer, thereby promoting the breakage of the OO bond of PMS. The mechanism of piezo-photocatalytic activated PMS was confirmed by COMSOL multiphysics simulations, electrochemical experiments, contribution of active species and DFT calculations. Moreover, a self-cycling degradation reactor was proved more effective in generating piezoelectric potential and improving the degradation efficiency, supporting the practical potential of this strategy. This study provides a new platform to develop piezoelectric porous membrane for enhanced PMS activation under low density flow water energy.

Fabrication of ultrafiltration membranes based on methacrylate copolymers containing quaternary ammonium and PEG units for dye removal

Abstract Phase inversion involves in a complex process due to numerous factors affecting the membrane formation. Among them, polymer chain entanglement from polymeric membrane materials plays a critical role in regulating membrane structure and is still worth further exploration. Herein, a series of methacrylate copolymers with different contents of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) were designed and synthesized, and ultrafiltration membranes cast from these copolymers were systematically investigated regarding structural evolution and filtration performance. Surface zeta potential of membranes gradually transformed from positive to negative with the increasing PEGMA content due to nonsolvent-induced surface migration of element oxygen, and meanwhile the transformation from finger-like pore structure to sponge-like pore structure in the support layer was observed, which could be attributed to chain entanglement of the PEGMA-rich copolymer. Filtration experiments indicated that sponge-like membranes possessed better separation effect of Victoria blue B compared with finger-like membranes, and the optimized mPP40-15 % showed a retention rate of 99.55 % and permeance of 110.26 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 and displayed good selective separation of dye/salt mixture. Besides, sponge-like membranes also exhibited easy regeneration, anti-fouling property and filtration stability. This work will provide guidance for modulating membrane structure and offer an alternative material for membrane separation in handling dye wastewater.

Dialysis nanocomposite membranes based on carbon nanoforms inhibiting blood plasma protein adsorption.

Protein adsorption on medical devices in contact with blood is a significant issue during renal replacement therapy. Main forces determining fouling are the electrostatic interactions between membrane and charged protein, but the dialysis membrane surface charges can be adjusted by modifying the polymer matrix to decrease the blood plasma protein adsorption. In this study, polysulfone membranes (PSU) were modified by incorporation of carbon nanoparticles such as: multiwall carbon nanotubes (2 wt.% MWCNT), graphene oxide (1 wt.% GO), and graphite (5 wt.% GR) during manufacturing process (nonsolvent-induced phase separation, NIPS). The PSU flat sheet membrane was the reference sample. Observed morphology of nanocomposite membranes was similar (SEM imaging); all of them had finger-like pore structure with unimodal distribution of pore size and similar skin-to-support ratio (1:3). The carbon nanoadditives also influenced the surface wettability: hydrophobicity and surface free energy of membranes increased (polar components of energy were reduced, while the dispersive components were increased). The surface charge of nanocomposite membranes increased, when the polymer matrix has been modified with CNT or GR. This significantly affects the adsorption of proteins such as chicken (CSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) and reduces blood clotting on the membrane.

Design and fabrication of PPTA-braid-reinforced PFA/GE hollow fiber composite membranes

Due to the effects of the rapid development of modern society and fresh water resource pollution, water shortage has further accelerated, which is becoming a very urgent problem. Herein, the poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide)-(PPTA-) braid-reinforced (PBR) poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoropropylvinylether)/graphene (PFA/GE) hollow fiber composite membranes (HFCMs) were prepared by dipping coating-thermal sintering coupling technique with a green process. GE is an emerging type of two-dimensional functional nanoparticle with a tunable passageway for oil molecules. The influences of the GE concentration in the casting solution on the structure and performance of the PBR−PFA/GE HFCMs were investigated. The results showed that the addition of GE produced a finger-like pore structure suitable for oil channels. Meanwhile, the roughness and contact angle of the composite membrane increased accordingly, and the water contact angle increased from 115° to 120°. The permeation fluxes of kerosene also increased obviously with the increase of GE contents, and the maximum flux of M-3 reached as high as 217.66 L·m−2·h−1. The application of the lubricating oil flux test under working conditions of 60–150 °C has demonstrated the high-temperature oil permeability resistance of the composite membrane. Even after long-term use, its separation efficiency for water-in-oil emulsions still remains above 99.5 %. In addition, the membrane separation-efficiency both up to 99.9 % for activated carbon and silica dioxide (SiO2) in kerosene. Overall, the PBR-PFA/GE HFCMs with excellent lipophilicity presented great potential for oily wastewater treatment at high temperatures.

Simulation-guided design of a finger-like nickel-based anode for enhanced performance of direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells

Direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells (DC-SOFCs) can convert solid carbon directly to electricity via electrochemical oxidation and require less investment compared to other liquid or gas-fed fuel cells. Anode characteristic is one of the important factors in achieving efficient and stable operation of DC-SOFCs. In this work, we have successfully designed and developed 2D multi-physics field models for DC-SOFCs with finger-like nickel-based anode (Cell-A) and traditional nickel-based anode (Cell-B), respectively. Simulation results revealed that the cell performance was significantly enhanced with increases in the anode porosity and decreases in the distance of carbon fuel to porous anode. More importantly, the anode featuring a finger-like pore structure assumed a pivotal role in cell performance. Specifically, Cell-A exhibited higher electrochemical performance compared to Cell-B due to the lower resistance for gas transport and more abundant amount of three-phase boundaries for electrochemical reactions. Experimental results verified the simulation findings by making and operating these two DC-SOFCs. The fabricated Cell-A with finger-like anode delivered higher power output of 858 and 371 mW cm−2 at 850 °C when fueled with hydrogen and activated carbon, respectively, relative to Cell-B with traditional anode. The beneficial characteristic of finger-like anode was further demonstrated by the ability of Cell-A to retain stable operation for 14.1 h at 100 mA with the fuel utilization of 15.8% at 850 °C. This study provides important guidance for the design and improvement of DC-SOFCs, and promotes the sustainable utilization of carbon resources.

Effect of Mixing Technique on Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Blended Membranes for Gas Separation

Polymer blending has attracted considerable attention because of its ability to overcome the permeability–selectivity trade-off in gas separation applications. In this study, polysulfone (PSU)-modified cellulose acetate (CA) membranes were prepared using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) using a dry–wet phase inversion technique. The membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphological analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for thermal stability, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify the chemical changes on the surface of the membranes. Our analyses confirmed that the mixing method (the route chosen for preparing the casting solution for the blended membranes) significantly influences the morphological and thermal properties of the resultant membranes. The blended membranes exhibited a transition from a finger-like pore structure to a dense substructure in the presence of macrovoids. Similarly, thermal analysis confirmed the improved residual weight (up to 7%) and higher onset degradation temperature (up to 10 °C) of the synthesized membranes. Finally, spectral analysis confirmed that the blending of both polymers was physical only.

A porous TiC supported nanostructured complex metal oxide ceramic electrode for oxygen evolution reaction

Developing low-cost and high-performance electrodes with a customized size is greatly demanded to satisfy the industrial requirement of electrochemical water splitting. To meet this challenge, a novel binder-free electrode consisted of perovskite Sr2Fe1.4Ni0.1Mo0.5O6-δ (SFNMO) nanofibers or spinel NiCo2O4 (NCO) nanosheets tightly bonded on a porous TiC substrate has been developed to catalyze the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline water electrolysis. The optimal SFNMO/TiC electrode requires a stable overpotential of ∼380 mV to achieve a current density of 30 mA cm−2 within 20 h of operation. The competitive OER performance of such electrode can be attributed to its unique large finger-like straight pore structure, which favors the mass transfer of electrolyte solution as well as produced oxygen bubbles. Furthermore, the strong adhesion between metal oxide catalysts and TiC substrate is derived from the interfacial reaction (form a TiCxOy solid solution), thus lowering the contact resistance of catalyst/substrate interface and promoting the charge transfer kinetics of electrodes, which leads to an outstanding catalytic performance.

Performance of sponge and finger-like structures of PSF/PET membranes in hydrogen separation industry

Polysulfone (PSF) is one of the most popular commercial ultrafiltration membranes recently used in the field of high-performance gas separation. PSF membranes are distinguished by their sponge-like pore (SP) or finger-like pore (FP) structures. Also, they are usually reinforced with a porous backing layer, such as non-woven polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric, to improve their tensile strength. This research aims to study the effect of these different porous structures (SP and FP) and PET support layer on the gas permeation and selectivity characteristics of PSF membranes. The PSF/PET composite membranes were fabricated using a phase-inversion approach with different thicknesses of 100 µm and 200 µm to obtain SP and FP structures, respectively. The basic properties of the fabricated membranes, including morphology, coherence layers, pore structures, surface roughness, mechanical, chemical, and thermal were examined. Meanwhile, the pure gas measurements of H2, CH4, CO2, and N2 were taken using a laboratory setup at different pressures and temperatures up to 5 bar and 60 °C respectively. The scanning electron microscope results showed that the PSF solution had successfully penetrated between PET fibres closing their voids and formulated different thin and dense layers on their surfaces with SP and FP structures. Meanwhile, the PSF(FP)/PET membrane manifested bigger pore size (63 nm), lager porosity, higher strength, and higher thermal stability compared to PSF(SP)/PET membrane with estimated percentage of 24, 28, 23, 16 %, respectively. The gas measurements showed that the SP structure can provide higher gases permeability, as opposed to FP structure that showed better selectivity in the trend H2/CO2 (3.21) > H2/N2 (3.05) > H2/CH4 (1.99) with 36–80% improvement, when compared to PSF(SP)/PET membranes. Based on that, it is highly recommended to use PSF/PET with FP structure in hydrogen separation industry.

Nanocomposite substrate-supported nanofiltration membrane for efficient treatment of rare earth wastewater

The incorporation of nanomaterials into the selective layer of nanofiltration membranes can effectively enhance membrane performance. However, the agglomeration of nanoparticles inevitably leads to defects in the membrane PA layer. To address this issue, this paper reports a novel nanocomposite substrate-supported thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration membrane with good stability and excellent separation performance. Inorganic two-dimensional O–MoS2 nanosheets were embedded into a polysulfone (PSF) substrate by a non-solvent-induced phase transition method. The PSF/O–MoS2 nanocomposite was used as a support for the interfacial polymerization between piperazine and tricarbonyl chloride. The pore morphology of the nanocomposites changed dramatically as the O–MoS2 content increased. With the optimal content of O–MoS2 in substrates was 0.06 wt%, the pore structure of the substrate changed from a larger irregular bubble pore structure to a finger-like pore structure. The nanocomposite matrix-supported TFC membrane exhibited 1.7 times higher water flux and better salt removal compared to the control membrane. Meanwhile, the obtained nanofiltration membranes showed excellent separation performance in treating simulated rare earth wastewater (P507) containing surfactants with a desalination rate of 97.08%. The desalination rate also reached 95% in a 24- h performance test on real rare earth wastewater (50-fold dilution), demonstrating its great potential for industrial applications. This work also highlights that modification of substrates with functional nanomaterials can provide a versatile approach to enhance the separation performance and stability of TFC membranes.

Considerably enhanced electrochemical and thermomechanical performance of lithium battery (LIB) separators of PVDF/vermiculite nanosheets (VNs) composites via constructing well-defined hierarchical microstructure

In this study, polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) lithium battery (LIB) separators were prepared by nonsolvent- induced phase separation (NIPS) technique, and effect of vermiculite nano-sheets (VNs) on the performance of PVDF separator was studied by altering the proportions of VNs added. The microscopic morphologies of PVDF films were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and it was found that the incorporation of two-dimensional VNs greatly improved the thermodynamic instability of PVDF/N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) solution, which further induced the formation of long finger-like pore structure, leading to improved porosity and electrolyte uptake rate of the prepared separators. Meanwhile, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis showed that the presence of VNs decreased PVDF's crystallinity and greatly improved the thermal stability of the separators primarily owing to VNs’ two-dimensional structure as well as excellent thermal stability. When the VNs content reached 7.0 wt%, the ionic conductivity of the separator increased from 0.300 mS⋅cm−1 to 1.679 mS⋅cm−1, coupled with significant improvement in both mechanical properties and battery performance. The present study provides a facile method for preparing LIB separators with high safety and superior performance.

Incorporation of barium titanate nanoparticles in piezoelectric PVDF membrane

The micro-vibration of piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes has been shown to mitigate fouling. To improve the desired piezoelectric properties, piezoelectric barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles (NPs) were incorporated into PVDF membranes fabricated by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS). Due to the high surface energy of BaTiO3 NPs, the nanoparticles tended to agglomerate and were not dispersed uniformly. The silane coupling agent (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) with the BaTiO3 NPs showed enhanced compatibility and dispersion in the PVDF membrane. The resulting BaTiO3-PVDF membranes had similar finger-like pore structure as neat PVDF membrane. The dielectric strength, piezoelectric and mechanical properties of BaTiO3-PVDF membranes were enhanced. A linear correlation (R2 = 0.9391) between piezoelectric d33 coefficient and critical flux was observed for poled BaTiO3-PVDF membranes under the influence of electrical AC signal (10 Vpp, 500 Hz) when colloidal silica was used as model foulant. The optimal BaTiO3-PVDF membrane (0.1 wt% BaTiO3, poled and AC applied) showed up to 51% increase in critical flux compared to the neat PVDF membrane (unpoled and no AC applied). Further, extended durations of multiple filtration cycles by up to a factor of 2 to 4 were observed. The membrane operation could be prolonged due to significant reduction in irreversible fouling.

Preparation and characterization of PSF-TiO2 hybrid hollow fiber UF membrane by sol–gel method

Organic–inorganic hybrid polysulfone (PSF)-titanium dioxide (TiO2) hollow fiber ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were prepared by sol–gel process and dry–wet spinning method. The effects of added TiO2 nanoparticles on membranes properties and morphologies were investigated by SEM, FT-IR, DSC, contact angle goniometer, UF experiments and so on. The results show that the membrane is a double-row finger-like pore structure, and with the increase of TiO2 content, the volume of finger-like pores increases first and then decreases. The organic–inorganic network structure forms between the TiO2 nanoparticles and the PSF chain introduced by the sol–gel method leads to an increase in the porosity, mechanical strength and thermal stability of the membrane. The addition of TiO2 improves the hydrophilicity, permeability and anti-fouling properties of the membrane. However, high TiO2 concentration induces nanoparticles aggregate, resulting in the decline of hydrophilicity, permeability and anti-fouling properties. So added the right amount of TiO2 nanoparticles can give the membrane better UF performance, mechanical properties and antifouling properties as well as longer service life.

Metal organic frameworks decorated membrane contactor constructing SO2-philic channels for efficient flue gas desulphurization

Membrane contactor has been considered to be a prospective alternative to traditional technology for toxic acid gases capture. In this study, the mixed matix membrane contactors (MMMCs) with the metal organic frameworks (MOFs, MIL-101(Cr)) as fillers are fabricated for high-efficiency SO2 removal. The MIL-101(Cr) with microporous structure provides more SO2 channels for the enhancement of SO2 absorption flux. Moreover, the open metal sites from MIL-101(Cr) display the high affinity to SO2, which construct “SO2-philic” channels in the finger-like pore structure, resulting in the increment of SO2 removal efficiency. The introduction of MIL-101(Cr) into PVDF modifies the physical structure verified by scanning electron microscope (SEM), liquid entry pressure (LEPw) and gas permeation test et al. The newly developed MIL-101(Cr) doped MMMCs exhibit competitive hydrophobicity with the water contact angle of 119°. In particular, the M915 MMMC with MIL-101(Cr) loading 15 wt% displays the optimum SO2 absorption performance with the SO2 absorption flux and SO2 removal efficiency of 1.09 × 10−3 mol m−2 s−1 and 89.51%, respectively. The SO2 mass transfer coefficient in membrane (Km) is significantly enhanced to 4.44 × 10−3 m s−1 and membrane phase resistance (H/Km) is noticeably decreased to 92.96 s m−1. Besides, the MIL-101(Cr) doped MMMCs show both the alkali resistance and long-term stability.

Fabrication of ultrafiltration membranes by poly (aryl ether nitrile) with poly (ethylene glycol) as additives.

A new kind of flat sheet ultrafiltration membrane was prepared by a promising membrane material, poly (aryl ether nitrile) (PEN), via non-solvent induced phase separation. The effect of solvents, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethyl acetamide (DMAc), as well as additive of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) with different molecular weights on the structure and permeation performance of synthesized membranes were investigated. Comparing with NMP, DMAc is more suitable for the casting solution preparation due to better solubility. A gradually changing pore from sponge-like to finger-like can be observed when PEG was added with DMAc as solvent, while a finger-like pore structure always appears in the NMP system with or without PEG. In both systems, the formation of macrovoids is effectively promoted by the addition of PEG, and higher porosity membranes can be obtained by PEG with higher molecular weight. With the increase of PEG molecular weight from 400 to 10,000 Da, the permeate flux increases from 74.5 to 114.3 L·m-2·h-1 and from 102.0 to 130.8 L·m-2·h-1 under a 100 kPa pressure-driven when NMP and DMAc were used as solvents, respectively. The membranes prepared by DMAc exhibit outstanding rejection of BSA with rejections all above 96.5%.

Sulfonated poly(α,β,β-trifluorostyrene)-doped PVDF ultrafiltration membrane with enhanced hydrophilicity and antifouling property

While polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is widely used as a commercial UF membrane material, PVDF membrane often encounters fouling problems which significantly reduce the separation performance and service life of membrane. In this work, a special fluoro-contained polymer, sulfonated poly(α,β,β-trifluorostyrene) (SPTFS), is used to improve the hydrophilicity of PVDF membrane, thus to enhance the water flux and antifouling property of the membrane. PVDF membranes with different doping amount of SPTFS are prepared through conventional non-solvent induced phase separation method. Effects of doping SPTFS on the surface morphology, porosity, water contact angle and zeta potential of the prepared membranes are investigated. Compared with the pristine PVDF membrane, the SPTFS-doped membranes show improved hydrophilic property with enlarged finger-like pore structure, decreased water contact angle and higher negative surface charge density, as well as the increased filtration water flux. The enhanced anti-fouling property of the membrane is demonstrated by the cyclic filtration test and the in-situ monitoring of the adsorption and desorption of pollutants using a quartz crystal microbalance.

An enhanced poly(vinylidene fluoride) matrix separator with TEOS for good performance lithium-ion batteries

The low crystallinity poly(vinylidene fluoride)/tetraethyl orthosilicate silane (PVDF/TEOS) composite separator with a finger-like pore structure for lithium-ion battery has been successfully prepared by non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) technique. The PVDF/TEOS composite separator shows the excellent wettability and electrolyte retention properties compared with Celgard 2320 separator. AC impedance spectroscopy results indicate that the novel PVDF/TEOS composite separator has ion conductivity of 1.22 mS cm−1 at 25 °C, higher than that of Celgard 2320 separator (0.88 mS cm−1). The lithium-ion transference number of PVDF composite separator added 0.7% TEOS was 0.481, better than that of Celgard 2400 (0.332). What is more, the lithium-ion batteries assembled with PVDF/TEOS composite separator show good cycling performance and rate capability.

In-situ modification of PVC UF membrane by SiO 2 sol in the coagulation bath during NIPS process

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ultrafiltration (UF) membrane was modified by silica sol in the coagulation bath during non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. The effects of silica sol concentrations on the morphology, surface property, mechanical strength and separation property of PVC UF membranes were systematically investigated. PVC membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle goniometry and tensile strength measurement. The results showed that silica had been successfully assembled on the surface of PVC UF membrane. With the increase of silica sol concentration in the coagulation bath, the morphologies of PVC UF membranes changed from cavity structure to finger-like pore structure and asymmetric cross-section structure. The hydrophilicity and permeability of PVC UF membranes were further evaluated. When silica sol concentration was 20 wt.%, the modified PVC membrane exhibited the highest hydrophilicity with a static contact angle of 36.5 degree and permeability of 91.8 (L.m-2.h-1). The structure of self-assemble silica had significant impact on the surface property, morphology, mechanical strength and resultant separation performance of the PVC membranes.

Fabrication of Cu(OH)2 Nanowires Blended Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Ultrafiltration Membranes for Oil-Water Separation

Cu(OH)2 nanowires were prepared and incorporated into poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) to fabricate Cu(OH)2-PVDF ultrafiltration (UF) membrane via immersion precipitation phase inversion process. The effect of Cu(OH)2 nanowires on the morphology of membranes was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The results showed that all the Cu(OH)2-PVDF membranes had wider fingerlike pore structure and better hydrophilicity, smoother surface than pristine PVDF membrane due to the incorporation of Cu(OH)2 nanowires. In addition, water flux and bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection were also measured to investigate the filtration performance of membranes. The results indicated that all the Cu(OH)2-PVDF membranes had high water flux, outstanding BSA rejection and excellent antifouling properties. It is worth mentioning that the optimized performance could be obtained when the Cu(OH)2 nanowires content reached 1.2 wt%. Furthermore, the membrane with 1.2 wt% Cu(OH)2 nanowires showed outstanding oil-water emulsion separation capability.

Enhancement of hydrophilicity and the resistance for irreversible fouling of polysulfone (PSF) membrane immobilized with graphene oxide (GO) through chloromethylated and quaternized reaction

A novel graphene oxide (GO) immobilized quaternized polysulfone (PSF) hybrid membrane (Q-PSF/GO) was prepared via phase inversion method using GO as an additive, and triethanolamine (TEOA) as an aminated agent. TEOA, which reacted with both PSF and GO, could improve the dispersibility and compatibility of GO in membrane casting solution. The membrane exhibited highest permeability and rejection rate to bovine serum albumin (BSA) compared to bare PSF membrane and PSF/GO membrane. Expressly, when the same amount of GO was incorporated into the PSF/GO membrane and the Q-PSF/GO membrane, the Q-PSF/GO membrane showed a more satisfactory performance. The water contact angle measurement confirmed the increased hydrophilicity of the Q-PSF/GO hybrid membrane. FE-SEM images proved that the Q-PSF/GO0.5 membrane possessed larger and more vertical finger-like pore structure in comparison with bare PSF membrane and PSF/GO membrane. Furthermore, it was proved by CLSM images that a thick and incompact layer of BSA was absorbed onto the surface of the Q-PSF/GO0.5 membrane. However, the absorbed layer of BSA on Q-PSF/GO0.5 membrane surface could be easily washed away compared to the bare PSF membrane.

Formation mechanism of sPEEK hydrophilized PES supports for forward osmosis

Polyethersulfone/sulfonated polyetheretherketone (PES/sPEEK) supported osmotic thin film composite (TFC) membranes were fabricated with a focus on the optimization of the support layer of the TFC membrane by the phase inversion process. The polymer solution was cast directly on a glass substrate without any backing fabric to prepare the support layer. All resultant supports showed a fingerlike pore structure. The addition of a more hydrophilic polymer (sPEEK) to the polymer solution induced pores in the bottom layer of the support with average pore diameters ranging from 0.07 to 0.30μm, which improved water flux. Bottom surface porosities were simply controlled by adjusting the polymer blend ratios. FO experiments were carried out in a high-throughput (HT) crossflow FO cell with DI water and a 0.5 M NaCl solution as feed and draw solution, respectively. TFC membranes with 5% sPEEK showed a water flux in PRO mode of 14.3 LMH and in FO mode of 6.2 LMH, which is superior to the commercial cellulose triacetate (CTA) and TFC membranes (HTI). In addition, a mechanism for the bottom layer formation was proposed.