Le Zhou , Yingtao Sun , Yuchen Wang, Yuewen Zhang, Zhigang Li
{"title":"Effects of anions on the separation of Li+ and Na+ using ZIF-8 membranes","authors":"Le Zhou , Yingtao Sun , Yuchen Wang, Yuewen Zhang, Zhigang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124736","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124736","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this work, we investigate the effects of anions (Cl<sup>−</sup>, NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>, SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup>) on the separation of Li<sup>+</sup> and Na<sup>+</sup> using ZIF-8 membranes through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Numerical results show that anions play a crucial role in separation processes. Large anions, such as SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup>, cannot go through the ZIF-8 membrane and completely prohibit the transport of Li<sup>+</sup> and Na<sup>+</sup>. In contrast, smaller anions (Cl<sup>−</sup> and NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>) can permeate the membrane more easily, facilitating the migration of Li<sup>+</sup> and Na<sup>+</sup> through the membrane. Compared to Cl<sup>−</sup>, the transport of NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> enhances the flux of Li<sup>+</sup> and improves the Li<sup>+</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> separation ratio. Temperature effects are also examined. The Li<sup>+</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> separation ratio decreases as the temperature is increased, while the fluxes of Li<sup>+</sup> and Na<sup>+</sup> are enhanced due to higher diffusion coefficients of Li<sup>+</sup> and Na<sup>+</sup>. A case study using NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> to improve Li<sup>+</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> separation for the system containing SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> is demonstrated. The findings in this work offer insights into the extraction of Li<sup>+</sup> from seawater or salt lakes under complex environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"738 ","pages":"Article 124736"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145128186","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}
Yuanyuan Liang , Ruosheng Pan , Boran Yang , Xuemin Li , Mingxia Wang , Zhenyu Cui , Benqiao He , Feng Yan
{"title":"Synergistic integration of crown ether and Girard's reagent T in nanofiltration membranes for high-efficiency lithium extraction from salt lake brine","authors":"Yuanyuan Liang , Ruosheng Pan , Boran Yang , Xuemin Li , Mingxia Wang , Zhenyu Cui , Benqiao He , Feng Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124740","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124740","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polyethylenimine (PEI)-based nanofiltration (NF) membranes shows considerable for Li<sup>+</sup> extraction from salt lake brines originating from their strong positive charge, yet their dense selective layer often leads to low permeability, hindering practical applications. To address this challenge, we developed a dual-modification strategy by incorporating hydrophilic Girard's reagent T (GRT) into the aqueous phase of PEI, followed by secondary interfacial polymerization (IP) with a Li<sup>+</sup>-selective benzo-crown ether (DAB14C4). The GRT's quaternary ammonium groups synergized with DAB14C4's precise ion-sieving capability, simultaneously boosting membrane charge density and Li<sup>+</sup>/Mg<sup>2+</sup> selectivity. The resulting DAB14C4@PEI/GRT@PSF membrane exhibited exceptional performance: a pure water flux of 13.7 ± 0.8 L m<sup>-2</sup>·h<sup>-1</sup>·bar<sup>-1</sup>, enhanced surface charge (20.38 mV vs. 7.74 mV for the pristine membrane at pH 7), and high MgCl<sub>2</sub> rejection. Most notably, it achieved unprecedented Li<sup>+</sup>/Mg<sup>2+</sup> separation <strong>(</strong><em>S</em><sub>Li,Mg</sub> = 63.63<strong>)</strong> for a mixed solution (with Mg<sup>2+</sup>/Li<sup>+</sup> mass ratio = 20:1), far surpassing conventional positively charged NF membranes. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that DAB14C4 preferentially binds Li <sup>+</sup> over Mg<sup>2+</sup>, owing to Li<sup>+</sup>’s lower dehydration energy and higher diffusion rate. This work provides a feasible dual-functional modification strategy for developing high-flux, selective NF membrane for Li<sup>+</sup>/Mg<sup>2+</sup> separation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"738 ","pages":"Article 124740"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145157007","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}
Wenwen Sun , Jiyuan Zhang , De Sun , Guoliang Zhang , Dingfei Gong
{"title":"Black@ZnO/Gr modified carbon fiber self-cleaning membrane for Resource Disposal of degreasing wastewater","authors":"Wenwen Sun , Jiyuan Zhang , De Sun , Guoliang Zhang , Dingfei Gong","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124723","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124723","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Membranes used for the advanced treatment of oily wastewater are susceptible to limitations, including the adhesion of oil-fouling and the residues (ions, emulsifiers, and residual oil droplets) in separated permeate. Here, multifunctional black zinc oxide (Black@ZnO) and graphene (Gr) modified carbon fiber (Black@ZnO/Gr-CF) membrane were prepared by electrodeposition and anodic oxidation, which realized the self-cleaning of oil-fouling and photothermal evaporation of separated permeate. The hierarchical micro-nano rough structure formed by stacked Gr and nanoflower-like Black@ZnO endowed Black@ZnO/Gr-CF with underwater superoleophobicity (154.0°), thereby realizing efficient separation performance in oil-water mixture and (99.8 % and 146882.3 L m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>) and emulsion (99.5 % and 27853.7 L m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>). Additionally, the reduced band gap (2.45 eV) of Black@ZnO/Gr enabled Black@ZnO/Gr-CF photocatalytic self-cleaning performance for oil-fouling, resulting in a separation efficiency recovery rate (SERR) of 95.6 % and a flux recovery rate (FRR) of 99.0 %. Moreover, the evaporation rate of Black@ZnO/Gr-CF to the separated permeate reached 2.31 kg m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, and the rejections of TOC and ions were all over 99.0 %. In addition, the Black@ZnO/Gr-CF can separate degreasing wastewaters (DGWs) from AW-Volkswagen, achieving separation efficiency of 97.5 and 75.6 %, corresponding fluxes of 6805.2 and 5255.3 L m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, and the SERR and FRR reached 93.9 and 92.8 %. The evaporation rate of the separated permeate reached 2.19 kg m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, and the rejections of TOC and ions were over 98.0 %. Following water impact, wear resistance, and UV aging test, the underwater oil contact angle of the Black@ZnO/Gr-CF stayed above 150.0°. Self-cleaning membranes with special wettability provide new insights into the treatment of actual DGWs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"738 ","pages":"Article 124723"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145218438","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}
Xinyue Zhang , Shichen Xiao , Zerong Miao , Jin Wang , Xudong Wang , Jiajin Hao , Junwei Xin , Huihui Zhang , Lei Wang , Lei Wang
{"title":"Electro-assisted functional nanofiltration membrane for enhancing Li+ enrichment and Li+/Mg2+ separation","authors":"Xinyue Zhang , Shichen Xiao , Zerong Miao , Jin Wang , Xudong Wang , Jiajin Hao , Junwei Xin , Huihui Zhang , Lei Wang , Lei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The electric field-assisted nanofiltration process exhibited considerable promise for the selective separation of monovalent and divalent ions, owing to the capability to precisely regulate ion migration behavior. In this study, polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified ZIF-8 (P-ZIF-8) nanoparticles were incorporated into a polyamide matrix to fabricate a composite nanofiltration membrane with a surface enriched in positive charge density. Driven by the external electric field, the membrane effectively facilitated the dehydration of Li<sup>+</sup>, accelerated the mass transfer rate of monovalent ions, and provided an effective electric field compensation effect. At an operating pressure of 4 bar and a current of 8 mA, the membrane exhibited a Li<sup>+</sup>/Mg<sup>2+</sup> separation factor of 272.9, with a Mg<sup>2+</sup> rejection rate of 98.7 % and a Li<sup>+</sup> permeability of 150 %, surpassing most previously reported performances. Moreover, the electric field-assisted strategy was successfully extended to other monovalent/divalent ion systems, the separation factors of 90.4 for Na<sup>+</sup>/Mg<sup>2+</sup> and 18.8 for K<sup>+</sup>/Mg<sup>2+</sup>, respectively. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations further elucidated that electric field-induced ion dehydration, coupled with enhanced counterion decoupling, synergistically facilitated the efficient separation of Li<sup>+</sup> and Mg<sup>2+</sup>. Overall, this work presented a viable approach for achieving high Mg<sup>2+</sup> rejection and Li <sup>+</sup> enrichment by coupling functionalized nanofiltration membranes with an electric field-assisted strategy, offering both theoretical insights and practical guidance for advancing electro-driven nanofiltration technologies in complex ion separation scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"738 ","pages":"Article 124738"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145157005","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}
Sk Md Ali Zaker Shawon , Penelope Fries , Longqian Xu , Ruoyu Wang , G. Kane Jennings , Shihong Lin
{"title":"Decoupling the influence of sorption and diffusion on membrane permselectivity in pervaporation for ethanol dehydration","authors":"Sk Md Ali Zaker Shawon , Penelope Fries , Longqian Xu , Ruoyu Wang , G. Kane Jennings , Shihong Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124744","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124744","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pervaporation is a membrane-based separation process capable of breaking azeotropes, where permselectivity arises from both sorption and diffusion contributions. However, conventional pervaporation measurements rarely distinguish between these two factors. In this study, we decouple the contributions of sorption and diffusion selectivity in ethanol–water separation using crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol membranes. By conducting separate sorption and pervaporation experiments across a range of feed compositions, we reveal that sorption selectivity exhibits a monotonic trend governed by the dynamic interplay between membrane swelling and feed water content. At intermediate ethanol concentrations, enhanced water uptake leads to peak sorption selectivity. In contrast, at high ethanol content—most relevant to ethanol dehydration applications—membrane swelling is suppressed, and diffusion selectivity becomes the dominant factor driving overall transport selectivity. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the composition-dependent separation behavior in pervaporation and offer a rational framework for optimizing membrane performance in industrial dehydration processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"738 ","pages":"Article 124744"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145218544","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}
Linyan Yang , Cheng Yuan , Qinyu Yu , Yi Wu , Zeyan Zhang , Weiming Huang , Xueming Chen , Lichun Bai , Shujuan Meng , Yanbo Zhou
{"title":"A layer-by-layer-assembly modified semi-aromatic polyamide membrane with enhanced fouling resistance","authors":"Linyan Yang , Cheng Yuan , Qinyu Yu , Yi Wu , Zeyan Zhang , Weiming Huang , Xueming Chen , Lichun Bai , Shujuan Meng , Yanbo Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Membrane fouling is a persistent challenge that hinders the widespread application of membrane technology for water treatment. This study introduced an innovative layer-by-layer-assembly approach (LBL), i.e., chitosan (Cs), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), glycidyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (GTAC), to modify the semi-aromatic polyamide nanofiltration membrane to enhance the separation performance and fouling resistance. The results show that the LBL surface coating, i.e., amino group in Cs and/or hydroxyl group in β-CD reacted with the unhydrolyzed acyl chloride group in TMC and/or epoxy group in GTAC, partially neutralized the negatively charged membrane surface with enhanced hydrophilicity. The modified membrane (named as PTCBG) was on par with or even better than the leading commercial NF270 membrane in terms of permeability and selectivity (<em>A</em> value: 13.1–13.7 vs. 14.2–14.3 L·m<sup>−2</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>·bar<sup>−1</sup>; <em>A/B</em> value: 9.2–46.9 vs. 3.1–8.8 bar<sup>-1</sup>, for rejection tests of typical divalent salts including CaCl<sub>2</sub>, MgCl<sub>2</sub> and MgSO<sub>4</sub>). The flux decline rate (<em>FDR</em>) decreased significantly from 89% for virgin membrane to 29% for PTCBG membrane using dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB) as a model foulant. The corresponding flux recovery rate (<em>FRR</em>) was 102%. It indicates the enhanced reversible anti-organic fouling property, which is attributed to the weakened hydrophobic and electrostatic attraction. The antibacterial rate of PTCBG relative to virgin membrane was 75% and 68% for <em>Escherichia coli</em> (<em>E. coli</em>) and <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (<em>S. aureus</em>). The <em>FDR</em> of PTCBG membrane exposed to <em>E. coli</em> and <em>S. aureus</em> was 20% and 51%, much lower than 35% and 65% for virgin one. It consistently reflected the enhanced biofouling resistance for PTCBG membrane, as a result of combined effects of weak adsorption and strong sterilization on bacteria, attributed to quaternary ammonium introduced by GTAC. This study provides an innovative and straight-forward strategy to fabricate polyamide membranes with good permeability/selectivity and excellent fouling resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"738 ","pages":"Article 124720"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145157006","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}
Situ Mu , Ruihang Zheng , Junjun Ma , Chun Liu , Jing Zhang , Jie Wang
{"title":"Dynamic analysis of ultrafiltration membrane fouling based on in-situ solid-phase fluorescence optic fiber (SPFOF): Fouling mechanism and cake layer structure","authors":"Situ Mu , Ruihang Zheng , Junjun Ma , Chun Liu , Jing Zhang , Jie Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124739","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124739","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Membrane fouling is an important obstacle to the development of membrane technology, and understanding the fouling mechanism and the sequential structure of the cake layer is critical for fouling control. In this study, a solid-phase fluorescence optic fiber (SPFOF) platform was established, combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and response surface methodology (RSM), to achieve quantitative monitoring of mixed foulants on the membrane surface. The membrane fouling mechanism and cake layer structure were further investigated. The results indicated that the deposition amount of protein (PN) substances exhibited a linear positive correlation with fluorescence intensity, whereas solid-phase humic acid (HA) demonstrated a fluorescence quenching effect. The intermediate blocking and cake filtration were identified as the dominant membrane fouling mechanisms. The membrane fouling of PN and HA had spatiotemporal dynamic changes during the filtration process. Initially, PN was preferentially adsorbed onto the membrane surface, followed by the rapid deposition of HA facilitated by the subsequent formation of the PN-HA structure. Compared with liquid excitation-emission matrix and chemical concentration methods, the SPFOF method had both accuracy and repeatability, and had significant advantages in the quantitative characterization of foulants at the interface of the membrane.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"738 ","pages":"Article 124739"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145128184","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}
Chia-Ming Chang , Sidi Zhu , Fan Feng , Qipeng Zhao , Shing Bor Chen
{"title":"15-crown-5 functionalized layered double hydroxide enabling thin-film nanocomposite membranes for enhanced reverse osmosis desalination and boron removal","authors":"Chia-Ming Chang , Sidi Zhu , Fan Feng , Qipeng Zhao , Shing Bor Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124732","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124732","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The escalating global water crisis has intensified the need for advanced and robust desalination technologies. In this study, we report the fabrication of a novel thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) reverse osmosis (RO) membrane by incorporating a specifically engineered nanofiller into the polyamide selective layer. The synergistic integration of 15-crown-5 (CE15) and layered double hydroxide (LDH) markedly enhances membrane hydrophilicity and creates efficient water transport pathways. This results in an exceptional water permeance of 5.36 LMH bar<sup>−1</sup> (190 % higher compared to conventional TFC membranes), while maintaining a high NaCl rejection of 99.1 % at 20 bar against brackish water. Moreover, the optimal membrane achieves a boron rejection rate of 84.5 %, outperforming most of reported TFC membranes. Mechanistic investigations, supported by both characterizations and theoretical calculations, reveal that the incorporation of CE15 not only increases the content of ether and carboxyl groups but also reduces the crosslinking density of <span>PA</span>, leading to a thinner and more permeable selective layer. Furthermore, the incorporation of Li<sup>+</sup> and Na<sup>+</sup> ions significantly enhance both the performance and long-term stability of the membranes. Specifically, CL.2Na membrane achieves an optimal water permeance of 6.08 LMH bar<sup>−1</sup>, with an exceptional NaCl rejection of 99.3 % and boron removal rate of 85.7 %. In addition, CL.2Na membrane demonstrates an outstanding stability for long-term RO test, maintaining a high water permeance of 5.84 LMH bar<sup>−1</sup> after 72 h of continuous operation. These results confirm that the addition of Li<sup>+</sup> and Na <sup>+</sup> could improve membrane separation performance for prolonged use. This work highlights the potential of crown ether–LDHs synergy, particularly in conjunction with alkali metal ions, for the molecular design of next-generation RO membranes with superior desalination and boron removal capabilities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"736 ","pages":"Article 124732"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109705","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}
Michele Galizia , Dae Woo Kim , Xing Yang , Yi Liu
{"title":"Special Issue: Early career membrane scientists","authors":"Michele Galizia , Dae Woo Kim , Xing Yang , Yi Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124728","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124728","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"738 ","pages":"Article 124728"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145128187","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}
Ke Jiang, Li Long, Shenghua Zhou, Li Wang, Chenyue Wu, Wenyu Liu, Lu Elfa Peng, Chuyang Y. Tang
{"title":"Lithium ion-regulated monomer reactive sites heighten selectivity of polyamide nanofiltration membranes","authors":"Ke Jiang, Li Long, Shenghua Zhou, Li Wang, Chenyue Wu, Wenyu Liu, Lu Elfa Peng, Chuyang Y. Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interfacial polymerization (IP) is an ultrafast process due to the highly reactive sites of the monomers (e.g., piperazine (PIP) with amine groups), leading to uncontrollable formation of polyamide (PA) films. To manipulate the IP reaction precisely for well-designed PA properties, we applied a lithium (Li<sup>+</sup>) salt to control the reactivity of PIP and further adjust the characteristics of PA layer. The interaction between Li<sup>+</sup> and PIP was investigated by systematic characterizations to reveal its impacts on IP and PA formation. The Li<sup>+</sup>-PIP interaction weakened the reactivity and diffusion of PIP, leading to an optimized PA film (NF-0.2) with halved film thickness and a more uniform nodule structure as a result of the competing effects between PIP diffusion and PA formation. This PA membrane shows nearly doubled water permeance and greatly enhanced Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> rejection to 99.8 %. We further demonstrate that the NF-0.2 membrane exhibited superior NaCl/Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> selectivity of over 1700 and improved micropollutants rejection. This Li <sup>+</sup> -regulated IP (Li-IP) strategy provides fundamental insights into the design and regulation of high-performance PA membranes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":368,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Membrane Science","volume":"738 ","pages":"Article 124729"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145157566","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}