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Fabrication of Thin Ion-Gel Membrane by Interfacial Polymerization
Eiji Kamio1,2, Shogo Kimura1,2, Atsushi Matsuoka1,2
1Research Center for Membrane and Film Technology, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|November 26, 2025
Summary
Interfacial polymerization creates thin, defect-free ion-gel membranes with high ionic liquid (IL) content. These membranes show excellent CO2 separation performance, making them promising for gas separation applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Separation Technology
Background:
- Ionic liquids (ILs) are promising for gas separation but often require support materials.
- Fabricating thin, defect-free membranes with high IL content is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel method for fabricating thin-gel membranes with high IL content using interfacial polymerization.
- To evaluate the CO2 separation performance of these membranes.
Main Methods:
- Interfacial polymerization of thiol-terminated and maleimide-terminated tetra-armed poly(ethylene glycol) (tetra-PEG) prepolymers.
- Formation of a single-micrometer-thick ion gel layer at the aqueous-IL interface.
- Fabrication of a thin-film composite (TFC) membrane incorporating the ion-gel layer.
Main Results:
- Achieved high IL content (approx. 80 wt %) in the ion-gel layer.
- Controlled ion-gel layer thickness by adjusting reaction time and prepolymer concentration.
- Demonstrated defect-free thin ion-gel layers with CO2/N2 selectivity of ~28.
- Obtained high CO2 permeability of 726 barrer due to high IL content.
Conclusions:
- Interfacial polymerization is an effective technique for preparing thin, defect-free ion-gel membranes with high IL content.
- The developed TFC membranes exhibit excellent CO2 separation performance.
- This method offers a promising route for advanced gas separation technologies.
