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Surface and Interface Engineering for Advanced Nanofiltration Membranes

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Abstract

Nanofiltration has been attracting great attention in alleviating the global water crisis because of its high efficiency, mild operation, and strong adaptability. Over decades, it remains a challenge to break the upper limit of performance and establish the formation-structure-property relationship for nanofiltration membranes. This feature article summarizes our recent progress in the preparation of high-performance thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration membranes, focusing on the mussel-inspired deposition method and the optimized interfacial polymerization (IP). By accelerating the oxidation of polydopamine and equilibrating the rate of aggregation and deposition processes, the mussel-inspired deposition method realizes the rapid and uniform formation of selective coatings or nanofilms. Diverse deposition systems endow the selective layer with rich chemical structures and easy post-functionalization, highlighting its potential in water treatment. As for optimizing the conventional IP, the rapid polycondensation of amine and acid chloride groups is slowed down to enable the controllability of IP at the water-organic interface. The homogeneity and integrity of the TFC membranes are improved by constructing a uniform reaction platform and introducing a viscous medium to control the amine diffusion, which facilitates the water permeability and promotes the separation efficiency. We have proposed a series of practical strategies for improving TFC membranes and might provide more inspiration for other nanofiltration techniques.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22135006). We also thank the contributions from Dr. Hao-Cheng Yang, Dr. Yan Lv, Dr. Yong Du, Dr. Wen-Ze Qiu, Dr. Ming-Bang Wu and Mr. Chang Liu.

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Key Laboratory of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Bian-Bian Guo, Cheng-Ye Zhu & Zhi-Kang Xu

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  1. Bian-Bian Guo
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  2. Cheng-Ye Zhu
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  3. Zhi-Kang Xu
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Correspondence to Zhi-Kang Xu.

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Biography

Zhi-Kang Xu is a Qiushi Distinguished Professor at Zhejiang University and the director of the Key Laboratory of Adsorption and Separation in Zhejiang Province. He received his PhD degree in polymer chemistry and physics from the Chemistry Department of Zhejiang University in 1991. His current research focuses on the surface and interface engineering of polymer membranes.

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The authors declare no competing financial interest.

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Guo, BB., Zhu, CY. & Xu, ZK. Surface and Interface Engineering for Advanced Nanofiltration Membranes. Chin J Polym Sci 40, 124–137 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-022-2654-z

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