Mixed Nascent Layer Based on Reactive Nanofiber to Regulate High-Performance Nanofiltration Membranes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Nanofiltration membranes are crucial for water purification but face a permeability-selectivity trade-off.
• Developing high-performance, green membranes is essential to address the global water crisis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a novel reactive interlayer to improve nanofiltration membrane performance.
• To investigate the mechanism of polyamide layer formation and its effect on membrane properties.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a reactive interlayer using piperazine-grafted carboxylated cellulose nanofibers.
• Interfacial polymerization to form an ultrathin polyamide layer.
• Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to analyze interlayer effects on membrane morphology and composition.

Main Results:

• The reactive interlayer formed a mixed nascent layer (MNL), regulating polyamide formation.
• The resulting membrane exhibited a crumpled morphology with uniform pore distribution.
• Achieved high Cl-/SO42- selectivity (155.4) and water permeance (43.9 L m-2 h-1 bar-1).
• Demonstrated effective removal of various micropollutants.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a new strategy for high-performance nanofiltration membrane development.
• Deepened understanding of interfacial polymerization mechanisms for membrane design.
• The developed membranes offer a promising solution for efficient water treatment.