Journal of Membrane Science最新文献

{"title":"Covalently bonded nanofiltration membranes with enhanced interlayer stability and back-flush resistance","authors":"Xiyue Cai ,&nbsp;Yonggang Li ,&nbsp;Zejin Yu ,&nbsp;Yingjie Fu ,&nbsp;Jing Guo ,&nbsp;Lei Dai ,&nbsp;Yaohan Chen ,&nbsp;Shenghai Li ,&nbsp;Suobo Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125211","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125211","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nanofiltration (NF) membrane represents an environmental-friendly and easy-to-operate water purification technology. However, NF membranes inevitably suffer from fouling, resulting in significant deterioration of separation performance and shortened operational lifespan. The polyamide (PA) separating layer of commercial thin film composite nanofiltration (TFC-NF) membranes is typically fabricated via interfacial polymerization (IP) on supporting membrane. The interfacial adhesion between the PA layer and the supporting membrane is primarily governed by weak van der Waals interactions, rendering the PA layer susceptible to be damaged during operation and recycling. In this work, we synthesized and employed a carboxyl-functionalized polymer (PEAK-COOH) as the supporting membrane material. Through a one-step phase inversion-surface amination process conducted in an aqueous piperazine (PIP) solution, coupled with in-situ IP process, we successfully fabricated a TFC NF membrane (PEAK–COOH–NF) in which the separating layer and the supporting membrane were robustly integrated through extensive covalent bonds. The separation layer fabricated with such strong interfacial bonding remained intact even under a maximum normal load of 0.15 mN in nano-scratch test, whereas the commercial NF270 membrane and TFC-NF membrane prepared on polyethersulfone (PES) supporting membrane exhibited structural failure at only 0.065 mN and 0.073 mN, respectively. This excellent interlayer adhesion enables the membrane to withstand back-flushing cleaning treatment at pressures up to 0.9 MPa without exhibiting significant performance deterioration, with its rejection remaining at 98.60 % after back-flushing. Finite element simulations further elucidate how this robust covalent interfacial bonding enhances the overall structural stability of the membrane. Furthermore, PEAK–COOH–NF exhibited a higher Na₂SO₄ rejection than NF270 due to the high cross-linking degree with 94.12 %. This study not only introduces a continuous fabrication strategy that enables TFC-NF membranes with exceptionally strong interfacial bonding, but also provides both methodological insights and a robust material platform to support effective back-flush operations in practical nanofiltration applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"744 ","pages":"Article 125211"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning-enabled design of MOF-based membranes for efficient C3H8-selective separation","authors":"Zhengqing Zhang ,&nbsp;Min Wang ,&nbsp;Wenjing Tian ,&nbsp;Xiaohao Cao ,&nbsp;Mengdi Zhao ,&nbsp;Yuxiu Sun ,&nbsp;Zhihua Qiao","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125244","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125244","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>C₃H₈-selective membranes are vital for efficient C₃H₆/C₃H₈ separation, yet the rational design of high-performance MOF-based membranes remains challenging. In this study, the CoRE MOFs satisfying key geometric criteria were initially screened, and their separation performance and underlying mechanisms were evaluated via high-throughput computational screening (HTCS). The obtained features and separation performance were subsequently used to develop machine learning (ML) models. Guided by top-performing ML models (CatBoost and Random Forest), key descriptors were identified to enable the rational design of MOF-based membranes. Accordingly, a total of 8338 IL@MOF structures were constructed via configurational-bias Monte Carlo simulations, of which ∼65.3% (5447) were structurally feasible and screened for performance evaluation. The membrane performance score (MPS) of 29 IL@MOF composite membranes exceeded that of the top-performing CoRE MOF (FUYCIN), with the best-performing composite membrane, [BMIM][BF₄]@UMODEH14, exhibiting a 4.7-fold higher performance than FUYCIN. This ML-driven hierarchical strategy enables data-informed design and screening of MOF-based membranes, providing a generalizable framework for the accelerated discovery of next-generation membranes for challenging gas separations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"745 ","pages":"Article 125244"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of molecular structure on porous structure and performance of star-branched poly(lactic acid) ultrafiltration membranes","authors":"Koichi Takada ,&nbsp;Akinori Okada ,&nbsp;Hiroshi Hirano ,&nbsp;Joji Kadota ,&nbsp;Tooru Kitagawa ,&nbsp;Hideto Matsuyama ,&nbsp;Tomohisa Yoshioka ,&nbsp;Keizo Nakagawa","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125225","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biomass-derived biodegradable polymer that shows promise as a circular resource for water-treatment membranes. The molecular structure of PLA affects its phase separation behavior, enabling control of pore formation to improve membrane performance. Changing the molecular chain density of PLA also affects its biodegradation behavior. However, conventional polymerization methods hardly provide PLA with both narrow molecular-weight distribution and high molecular weight, which limits research on the molecular structure of PLA. In this study, linear and star-branched PLA with four or eight arms were synthesized via organocatalyzed ring-opening polymerization, achieving a weight-average molecular weight (<em>M</em>_w) of ∼95,000 and narrow dispersity (≤1.2). PLA membranes were prepared via nonsolvent-induced phase separation and the effects of branch number and <em>M</em>_w on pore structure and hydrolysis behavior were investigated. The membrane surfaces exhibited fine pores with underlying finger-like macrovoids. Molecular weight cut-off increased with branch number (linear: 15,000 Da; four: 17,000 Da; eight: 52,000 Da). This trend was attributed to the decrease in solution viscosity with increasing branch number, which facilitated phase separation and pore growth. The decrease rate of molecular weight in accelerated hydrolysis tests (pH 9, 65 °C, 215 h) was 90 % for four-arm PLA, 70 % for linear, and 49 % for eight-arm PLA. A moderate PLA branching structure promoted hydrolysis, whereas an excessive branch number increased the chain density near the branch points, inhibiting water penetration and hydrolysis. These findings indicate that branch number, <em>M</em>_w, and viscosity control are important for improving membrane performance and degradability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"744 ","pages":"Article 125225"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cationically branched starch-based flocculants for synergistic flocculation-ultrafiltration treatment of dye wastewaters: Performance enhancement and efficient membrane fouling mitigation","authors":"Yuyang Wang ,&nbsp;Yeernaer Arixin ,&nbsp;Dandan Liu ,&nbsp;Hu Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dye wastewater poses serious environmental risks because of its high ecotoxicity; however, conventional flocculation and ultrafiltration often suffer from limited dye removal efficiency and severe membrane fouling. This study simply synthesized a novel starch-based flocculant (CS-ECH) with cationically branched structure by slight crosslinking of a linear cationic starch (CS) with epichlorohydrin. CS-ECH, as ultrafiltration pretreatment, was applied to remove acid green 25 (AG25) in water, a typical synthetic dye. Compared with polyaluminum chloride and its linear precursor, the optimized CS-ECH showed superior flocculation efficiency including a wide effective dosage range (30.0–80.0 mg/L) and a high removal rate (99.24%). Its cationically branched structure bears a loose network conformation, enhancing bridging and sweeping effects, promoting the formation of large but loose flocs and thus high dye removal efficiency, in addition to efficient charge neutralization. The calculated interaction energy and coordination number from molecular dynamics simulations revealed CS-ECH had stronger interactions with and also captured more AG25 than CS due to the distinct structure of CS-ECH. The following ultrafiltration achieved a complete decolorization, minimized the flux decline with a steady-state normalized flux of 0.62, and mitigated reversible and irreversible fouling by 34.2% and 85.3% respectively, owing to the previous formation of a porous, easily detachable cake layer by CS-ECH. The flocculation-ultrafiltration combination also exhibited excellent membrane reusability and adaptability to various simulated dye wastewaters and an actual dye effluent. Overall, CS-ECH is a low-cost, environmentally-friendly, and efficient flocculant with notable application potentials in flocculation–ultrafiltration integrated systems for advanced dye wastewater treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"745 ","pages":"Article 125232"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146116636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineering balanced high-conductivity and low-swelling semi-crystalline sulfonated poly (aromatic ether ketone sulfone) proton exchange membranes for fuel cells","authors":"Genyu Wei ,&nbsp;Jiejun Zeng ,&nbsp;Xiaoyu Li ,&nbsp;Yunji Xie ,&nbsp;Di Liu ,&nbsp;Jiaran Song ,&nbsp;Yuanlong Wu ,&nbsp;Haidong Ma ,&nbsp;Le Wang ,&nbsp;Zhe Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Commercial perfluoro sulfonic acid membranes (e.g., Nafion) are limited by high cost, strong humidity dependence, and excessive methanol crossover in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Herein, a series of semi-crystalline sulfonated poly (aromatic ether ketone sulfone) (SPPESK-x) membranes is synthesized through nucleophilic polycondensation followed by post-sulfonation. By incorporating densely sulfonated side chains and a crystalline hydrophobic backbone, these membranes achieve an excellent balance between proton conductivity and dimensional stability. The optimized membrane (SPPESK-12.5) exhibits an ultra-low in-plane swelling ratio of 16.5% at 80 °C, owing to its semi-crystalline structure, while delivering a high proton conductivity of 0.184 S cm⁻¹ under the same conditions. Furthermore, it shows significantly reduced methanol permeability and superior selectivity compared with control membranes. Fuel-cell tests using concentrated methanol (10 M) and under unpressurized H₂/O₂ and H₂/air conditions demonstrate promising power outputs and stable operation over 100 h. This work provides a viable strategy for designing high-performance hydrocarbon-based proton exchange membranes that combine enhanced proton conductivity with robust mechanical stability under demanding operating conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"744 ","pages":"Article 125212"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Constructing anion-cation transport pathways by built-in electric fields in membranes for efficient CO2 separation","authors":"Jiangnan Wang ,&nbsp;Long Li ,&nbsp;Yu Jiang ,&nbsp;Jinli Zhang ,&nbsp;Xueqin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, SCDs@MOF was synthesized by combining sulfonated carbon quantum dots (SCDs) with MOF-808, and it was incorporated into sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) matrix to fabricate mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for efficient CO₂ separation. Thereinto, SCDs with negative charges and MOF-808 with positive charges in SCDs@MOF can play synergistic roles in MMMs. The built-in electric field (BIEF) can be formed due to the opposite charges of SCDs and MOF-808, and it can provide driving force to promoting the formation of anion (HCO₃⁻) and cation (H⁺) from CO₂ and H₂O. In addition, the interconnected anion-cation transport pathways in SCDs@MOF can be constructed in MMMs, and they allowed HCO₃⁻ and H⁺ to be rapidly transported, attributing to the directional driving of charged ions by BIEF. As a result, the construction of the anion-cation transport pathways can improve CO₂ separation performance of MMMs. Therefore, SPEEK/SCDs@MOF MMMs were endowed with the excellent CO₂ separation performance. And the optimum CO₂ permeability and CO₂/CH₄ selectivity reached 1716 ± 48 Barrer and 29 ± 1.1, respectively, approaching 2019 upper bound. It implied that the formation of anion-cation transport pathways by BIEF in MMMs was a potential strategy for efficient CO₂ separation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"744 ","pages":"Article 125229"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aggregation assisted synergism for the extraction of Am(III) by a polymer inclusion membrane containing mixed ligands: Extraction, spectroscopic and small-angle X-ray scattering study","authors":"Soumitra Panda ,&nbsp;Bholanath Mahanty ,&nbsp;Debasis Sen ,&nbsp;Satish Mandal ,&nbsp;Pramilla D. Sawant ,&nbsp;Arunasis Bhattacharyya","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125205","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125205","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Generally, aggregation and synergism are common phenomenon in solvent extraction process when two amphiphilic extractants, one acidic and another neutral were employed for the metal ion extraction. Again, aggregation may drive the synergistic extraction of metal ions in a multi extractant system. However, to the best of our knowledge, the correlation between aggregation and synergism is unexplored in a more complex system like mixed extractant based polymeric plasticized membrane. Herein, we observed synergistic extraction of Am(III) from a dilute nitric acid solution (0.01–2 M) with a nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) plasticized cellulose triacetate (CTA) based polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) containing an acidic extractant, di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) and a neutral extractant, <em>N,N,N′,N′</em>-tetraoctyldiglycolamide (TODGA). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), photoluminescence (PL), small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and extraction studies indicate the involvement of both the ligand in the extraction of Eu(III) (considered as surrogate of Am(III)) and the evidence of aggregate formation in the structure of membrane. A possible mechanism was given to explain how aggregation synergistically assists in the extraction of metal ion based on the results from the SAXS studies. The self diffusion coefficients of Eu(III) was determined by non-stationary radiotracer diffusion method which nicely correlate with the size of the aggregate from SAXS studies of the membranes. The mixed membrane with a composition of D2EHPA and TODGA in the mole ratio of 2:1 follows the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo second order kinetic model, both indicating a chemisorption process for the uptake of Eu(III) with a maximum uptake capacity of approximately 21 mg/g of PIM. The mixed membrane also employed for recovery of Am(III) from a filter paper waste sample which indicated ∼90 % recovery of the metal ion at 0.01 M HNO₃ indicating possible application of the developed synergistic PIM in the analysis of real samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"744 ","pages":"Article 125205"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Two-bilayer polyelectrolyte multilayered nanofiltration membranes for highly efficient removal of PFAS from water","authors":"Ahmed M.A. Abdelsamad ,&nbsp;Ibrahim M.A. Elsherbiny ,&nbsp;Mathias Kühnert ,&nbsp;Marco Went ,&nbsp;Anett Georgi ,&nbsp;Stefan Panglisch ,&nbsp;Agnes Schulze ,&nbsp;Katrin Mackenzie","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125180","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125180","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a major threat to human health and the environment due to their persistence and harmfulness. One of the most efficient and sustainable approaches for their separation from water is membrane technology. In this study, polyelectrolyte multilayered (PEM) nanofiltration membranes were developed through layer-by-layer assembly of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PDADMAC/PSS) on polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration supports to remove two representative PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA). The effects of bilayer number and electron beam (EB) surface modification of the PES support were systematically investigated. A membrane coated with two bilayers achieved a PFOA rejection of (90.0 ± 3.6)% with a pure water permeability of (19.6 ± 3.1) L m⁻² h⁻¹ bar⁻¹ on unmodified PES, which improved to (94.5 ± 3.2)% and (25 ± 4) L m⁻² h⁻¹ bar⁻¹ after EB modification. Increasing the coating to three bilayers further enhanced PFOA rejection to (99 ± 0.4)% with permeability of (16 ± 4.3) L m⁻² h⁻¹ bar⁻¹, surpassing the commercial NF270 membrane with (94.6 ± 2.1)% and (15.7 ± 2.5) L m⁻² h⁻¹ bar⁻¹). PFHxA rejection was slightly lower due to its smaller molecular size and lower hydrophobicity. The membranes maintained stable rejection across pH values, while salts, particularly MgSO₄ with higher ionic strength, reduced rejection through charge screening and bilayer swelling, which also increased permeability. Overall, PEM membranes, especially those on EB-modified supports, provide a good balance between flux and selectivity and have great potential as scalable, energy-efficient methods of removing PFAS from water.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"744 ","pages":"Article 125180"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A molecular dynamics study on the steric effects of organophosphorus acid for proton exchange membranes","authors":"Morigen Zhao,&nbsp;Wen Liu,&nbsp;Jiashuo Fu,&nbsp;Wen Li,&nbsp;Sisi Cheng,&nbsp;Yunqi Li,&nbsp;Haining Wang,&nbsp;Shanfu Lu,&nbsp;Yan Xiang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125236","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125236","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Co-doping the proton exchange membrane with organophosphorus acid (OPA) and phosphoric acid (PA) as dual proton conductors can effectively enhance proton transport for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs). However, the influence of the OPA molecular structures on the proton transport remain unclear. Here we employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the effect of molecular steric effect on proton conduction behavior in polybenzimidazole-based membranes co-doped with OPA and PA as dual proton conductors. The interactions between these proton conductors and the polymer matrix are elucidated by investigating OPAs with varied carbon chains. The results reveal that longer carbon chains reduce electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bond binding energy, while decreasing total hydrogen bond density. This work provides atomistic-scale insights into the role of molecular steric effects on proton transport, offering guidance for designing advanced proton-conducting materials with balanced conductivity and stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"745 ","pages":"Article 125236"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Panama Canal ship-locking transport system-inspired lithium ion recovery way based on an electrochemically switched free-standing membrane","authors":"Wenbiao Ma ,&nbsp;Jie Qiao ,&nbsp;Qian Xu ,&nbsp;Wei Shi ,&nbsp;Peng Li ,&nbsp;Xiao Du ,&nbsp;Guoqing Guan ,&nbsp;Xiaogang Hao","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2026.125240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inspired by the ship-locking transportation principle of the Panama Canal, this work developed a similar system based on an electrochemically switched ion permselective (SL-ESIP) separation device integrated with a free-standing electroactive membrane fabricated via a facile vacuum filtration method. This system mimics a multi-stage ion relay process by dynamically modulating liquid levels on both the feed and receiving sides, thereby effectively suppressing ion leakage and enabling efficient extraction, storage, and release of lithium ion (Li⁺). The designed carbon nanotubes/polyvinyl alcohol/Li_1-xMn₂O₄ (CNTs/PVA/Li_1-xMn₂O₄) composite membrane and device exhibited exhibited high compatibility within the SL-ESIP system when treating brines with extreme Mg/Li ratios up to ∼500. Notably, under optimized pulse conditions (30/60 min), the membrane achieved a high Li⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivity of 40.36 with a Li ⁺ flux of 0.055 mol m⁻² h⁻¹, outperforming the conventional electrochemically switched ion exchange (ESIX) process by 2.5-fold in flux while maintaining comparable selectivity. Moreover, by implementing a two-stage SL-ESIP operation, the overall Li⁺/Mg²⁺ separation performance of the system was further amplified to an apparent selectivity of 3353, demonstrating the feasibility and scalability of the SL-ESIP operation mode for subsequent lithium purification. Besides, molecular simulations reveal that Li_1-xMn₂O₄ exhibits thermodynamically favored intercalation and kinetically accelerated diffusion for Li⁺, enabling high Li⁺ flux and exceptional Li⁺ selectivity over competing mono- and divalent ions in real Qarhan Salt Lake brines. This ship-locking transportation system-inspired electroactive membrane separation strategy offers a sustainable and efficient approach for the selective lithium extraction from high-salinity brines, and provides a versatile platform for the development of advanced ion-selective separation technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"745 ","pages":"Article 125240"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}