Large-Scale MXene Membrane Fabrication via Nonsolvent Phase Separation.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Two-dimensional (2D) MXenes show promise for membrane applications due to their hydrophilicity and antifouling properties.
• Scalable fabrication of MXene-based membranes is a significant hurdle for practical implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable manufacturing process for MXene/polysulfone mixed-matrix ultrafiltration membranes.
• To evaluate the performance of membranes fabricated using the novel roll-to-roll nonsolvent-induced phase separation (R2R-NIPS) method.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Ti3C2Tx/polysulfone (PSF) mixed-matrix ultrafiltration membranes using a roll-to-roll nonsolvent-induced phase separation (R2R-NIPS) process.
• Characterization of membrane morphology, wettability, and surface charge.
• Performance testing for water flux and humic acid rejection.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of large-format membranes (1.65 m²) with 1 wt% MXene incorporation.
• Enhanced membrane properties: increased water flux (31% higher than pristine PSF), improved humic acid rejection (97.6%), reduced contact angle (62°), and more negative surface charge.
• Demonstrated low batch-to-batch variability (<5%) and reproducible results.

Conclusions:

• The R2R-NIPS process offers a feasible and scalable route for producing high-performance MXene-based membranes for water purification.
• The developed methodology provides practical parameter insights for industrial-scale MXene membrane production.
• This advancement addresses the challenge of translating laboratory-scale MXene membrane technology to commercially viable manufacturing.