F-SiO2-embedded PLA-based superhydrophobic nanofiber membrane for highly efficient membrane distillation

Abstract

Obtaining a superhydrophobic surface is key for constructing membrane distillation systems for desalination. Although perfluoroalkyl materials have been proven to be good candidates for membrane distillation, the lack of a friendly approach to treat waste perfluoroalkyl-based membranes has attracted significant concern. Herein, we propose a simple strategy for the preparation of superhydrophobic polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibre membranes. PLA nanofibres were coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) via coaxial electrostatic spinning technique, and 0.1% fluorine-modified silica (F-SiO2) nanoparticles were embedded in the nanofibres to form nanoscale projections, which can increase roughness. Results showed that the coating of the low-surface-energy material PDMS and the nanoscale projections of F-SiO2 endowed the membrane with excellent superhydrophobicity. The presence of the biodegradable material PLA and only 0.1% fluorine-containing substances made the membrane environment friendly. In addition, a large-pore-size high-flux support layer could maximize transmembrane vapor transfer while a small-pore-size high-rejection selective layer could avoid brine wetting and exhibited excellent salt rejection. The flux of the membrane reached 6.87 L m−2 h−1 and rejection was higher than 99%. Therefore, the PPF-AS membrane, as a superhydrophobic membrane, has wide potential for application in the field of MD.

Graphical abstract: F-SiO2-embedded PLA-based superhydrophobic nanofiber membrane for highly efficient membrane distillation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Jul 2024
Accepted
01 Sep 2024
First published
25 Sep 2024

Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2024, Advance Article

F-SiO2-embedded PLA-based superhydrophobic nanofiber membrane for highly efficient membrane distillation

Y. He, Y. Ye, M. Zhou, L. Yan, Y. Zhang, E. Drioli, J. Ma, Y. Li and X. Cheng, Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2024, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D4EW00611A

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