Issue 38, 2020

Nanocomposite desalination membranes made of aromatic polyamide with cellulose nanofibers: synthesis, performance, and water diffusion study

Abstract

Reverse osmosis membranes of aromatic polyamide (PA) reinforced with a crystalline cellulose nanofiber (CNF) were synthesized and their desalination performance was studied. Comparison with plain PA membranes shows that the addition of CNF reduced the matrix mobility resulting in a molecularly stiffer membrane because of the attractive forces between the surface of the CNFs and the PA matrix. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed complex formation between the carboxy groups of the CNF surface and the m- phenylenediamine monomer in the CNF-PA composite. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the CNF-PA had higher hydrophilicity which was key for the higher water permeability of the synthesized nanocomposite membrane. The CNF-PA reverse osmosis nanocomposite membranes also showed enhanced antifouling performance and improved chlorine resistance. Therefore, CNF shows great potential as a nanoreinforcing material towards the preparation of nanocomposite aromatic PA membranes with longer operation lifetime due to its antifouling and chlorine resistance properties.

Graphical abstract: Nanocomposite desalination membranes made of aromatic polyamide with cellulose nanofibers: synthesis, performance, and water diffusion study

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Apr. 2020
Accepted
26 Jūn. 2020
First published
06 Jūl. 2020

Nanoscale, 2020,12, 19628-19637

Author version available

Nanocomposite desalination membranes made of aromatic polyamide with cellulose nanofibers: synthesis, performance, and water diffusion study

R. Cruz-Silva, K. Izu, J. Maeda, S. Saito, A. Morelos-Gomez, C. Aguilar, Y. Takizawa, A. Yamanaka, S. Tejiima, K. Fujisawa, K. Takeuchi, T. Hayashi, T. Noguchi, A. Isogai and M. Endo, Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 19628 DOI: 10.1039/D0NR02915G

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