Polyamide nanofiltration membrane with highly uniform sub-nanometre pores for sub-1 Å precision separation

Nature Communications - Tập 11 Số 1
Yuanzhe Liang1, Yu Zhu1, Cheng Liu2, Kueir‐Rarn Lee3, Wei‐Song Hung3, Zhenyi Wang1, Youyong Li2, Menachem Elimelech4, Jian Jin1, Shihong Lin5
1i-Lab and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 215123, Suzhou, P.R. China
2Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials, Soochow University, 215123, Suzhou, P. R. China
3R&D Center for Membrane Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Chung Yuan University, 32023, Chung Li, Taiwan
4Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520-8286, USA
5Interdisciplinary Material Science Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA

Tóm tắt

AbstractSeparating molecules or ions with sub-Angstrom scale precision is important but technically challenging. Achieving such a precise separation using membranes requires Angstrom scale pores with a high level of pore size uniformity. Herein, we demonstrate that precise solute-solute separation can be achieved using polyamide membranes formed via surfactant-assembly regulated interfacial polymerization (SARIP). The dynamic, self-assembled network of surfactants facilitates faster and more homogeneous diffusion of amine monomers across the water/hexane interface during interfacial polymerization, thereby forming a polyamide active layer with more uniform sub-nanometre pores compared to those formed via conventional interfacial polymerization. The polyamide membrane formed by SARIP exhibits highly size-dependent sieving of solutes, yielding a step-wise transition from low rejection to near-perfect rejection over a solute size range smaller than half Angstrom. SARIP represents an approach for the scalable fabrication of ultra-selective membranes with uniform nanopores for precise separation of ions and small solutes.

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Nature Communications

Tập 11 Số 1

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