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Transport of Surface-modified Carbon Nanotubes through a Soil Column
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Surface-Controlled Water Flow in Nanotube Membranes
Serena Casanova1, Matthew K Borg2, Y M John Chew1
1Department of Chemical Engineering and Centre for Advanced Separations Engineering , University of Bath , Bath BA2 7AY , U.K.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|December 14, 2018
Summary
Novel carbon nitride nanotubes (CNNTs) show decreased water flow due to surface chemistry. This research explores nanotube membranes for tailored separation processes.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Nanotube membranes are crucial for separation processes.
- Understanding water flow at the nanoscale is key to optimizing membrane performance.
- Carbon nitride nanotubes (CNNTs) offer tunable surface properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of nanotube surface chemistry and structure on water flow under nanoscale confinement.
- To synthesize novel carbon nitride nanotube (CNNT) membranes.
- To elucidate the mechanisms governing water permeance in CNNTs.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of novel carbon nitride nanotube (CNNT) membranes.
- High-fidelity molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.
- Spectroscopy measurements and droplet experiments for model calibration.
Main Results:
- Hydrophilization of CNNTs via C-N bonds decreases pure water permeance compared to pristine carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
- Increased water viscosity and decreased surface diffusion near the CNNT wall explain the reduced permeance.
- A model linking solid-liquid interactions to water permeance shows good agreement with experimental and simulation data.
Conclusions:
- Surface chemistry significantly influences water transport in nanotube membranes.
- CNNTs offer a pathway to tune membrane properties for specific applications.
- This work enables the design of advanced nanotube membranes for diverse separation processes.
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