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Membranes
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Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes
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Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Analysis and Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2020) | Viewed by 46489

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pei Sean Goh

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Guest Editor
Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre, School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru 81310, Malaysia
Interests: nanomaterial and nanocomposite synthesis; surface modification; polymeric nanocomposite; membranes; desalination and wastewater treatment; energy production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre, School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru 81310, Malaysia
Interests: membrane technology; nanostructured materials; hemodialysis; reverse osmosis; fuel cell; nanofiltration; ultrafiltration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The synthesis and applications of functional and structural nanomaterials have been extensively studied owing to their astonishing chemical and physical properties. One of the emerging applications of nanomaterials is in the development of nanocomposite membranes. The exceptional physicochemical properties rendered by nanomaterials at molecular level hold great potential to address the limitations and bottlenecks of conventionally used polymeric and ceramic membranes. Currently, the major development in this field is focused on the innovative design of nanocomposite membranes in which the membrane structures and properties have been carefully tailored and controlled through the incorporation of a wide range of engineered nanomaterials.

This Special Issue is devoted to state-of-the-art research on the topics concerning the development of nanocomposite membranes. It covers all the aspects associated to the synthesis of nanomaterials, fabrication of nanocomposite membranes, their modifications, and applications in various membrane-based processes, including gas separation, wastewater treatment, and desalination.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pei Sean GOH
Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Functional nanomaterials
  • Chemical and physical modifications
  • Nanocomposite membranes
  • Gas separation
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Desalination
  • Environmental remediation
  • Energy
  • Biomedical applications
  • Sustainability

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 163 KiB  
Editorial
Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes
by Pei Sean Goh and Ahmad Fauzi Ismail
Membranes 2021, 11(3), 158; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes11030158 - 25 Feb 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1393
Abstract
The design and synthesis of functional nanomaterials have been extensively explored over the last decade, primarily due to their exceptional physico-chemical properties [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

22 pages, 3622 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Anti-fouling and UV-Cleaning Properties of PVDF/TiO2 Mixed-Matrix Membrane for Humic Acid Removal
by Yeit Haan Teow, Boon Seng Ooi, Abdul Latif Ahmad and Jit Kang Lim
Membranes 2021, 11(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11010016 - 24 Dec 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 2697
Abstract
Natural organic matters (NOMs) have been found to be the major foulant in the application of ultrafiltration (UF) for treating surface water. Against this background, although hydrophilicity has been demonstrated to aid fouling mitigation, other parameters such as membrane surface morphology may contribute [...] Read more.
Natural organic matters (NOMs) have been found to be the major foulant in the application of ultrafiltration (UF) for treating surface water. Against this background, although hydrophilicity has been demonstrated to aid fouling mitigation, other parameters such as membrane surface morphology may contribute equally to improved fouling resistance. In this work, with humic acid solution as the model substance, the effects of titanium dioxides (TiO2) types (PC-20, P25, and X500) on membrane anti-fouling and defouling properties were comparatively analysed. The aims are (1) to determine the correlation between membrane surface morphology and membrane fouling and (2) to investigate the anti-fouling and UV-cleaning abilities of PVDF/TiO2 mixed-matrix membranes with different membrane topographies and surface energy conditions. The mixed-matrix membrane with P25 TiO2 exhibited the most significant UV-defouling ability, with a high irreversible flux recovery ratio (IFRR(UV)) of 16.56 after 6 h of UV irradiation, whereas that with X500 TiO2 exhibited both superior anti-fouling and defouling properties due to its smoother surface and its highly reactive surface layer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes)
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18 pages, 38227 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Multilayer Hybrid Coating on PSF Hollow Fiber Membrane for Enhanced Gas Separation
by Rosyiela Azwa Roslan, Woei Jye Lau, Gwo Sung Lai, Abdul Karim Zulhairun, Yin Fong Yeong, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail and Takeshi Matsuura
Membranes 2020, 10(11), 335; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes10110335 - 11 Nov 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3900
Abstract
One of the most critical issues encountered by polymeric membranes for the gas separation process is the trade-off effect between gas permeability and selectivity. The aim of this work is to develop a simple yet effective coating technique to modify the surface properties [...] Read more.
One of the most critical issues encountered by polymeric membranes for the gas separation process is the trade-off effect between gas permeability and selectivity. The aim of this work is to develop a simple yet effective coating technique to modify the surface properties of commonly used polysulfone (PSF) hollow fiber membranes to address the trade-off effect for CO2/CH4 and O2/N2 separation. In this study, multilayer coated PSF hollow fibers were fabricated by incorporating a graphene oxide (GO) nanosheet into the selective coating layer made of polyether block amide (Pebax). In order to prevent the penetration of Pebax coating solution into the membrane substrate, a gutter layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was formed between the substrate and Pebax layer. The impacts of GO loadings (0.0–1.0 wt%) on the Pebax layer properties and the membrane performances were then investigated. XPS data clearly showed the existence of GO in the membrane selective layer, and the higher the amount of GO incorporated the greater the sp2 hybridization state of carbon detected. In terms of coating layer morphology, increasing the GO amount only affected the membrane surface roughness without altering the entire coating layer thickness. Our findings indicated that the addition of 0.8 wt% GO into the Pebax coating layer could produce the best performing multilayer coated membrane, showing 56.1% and 20.9% enhancements in the CO2/CH4 and O2/N2 gas pair selectivities, respectively, in comparison to the membrane without GO incorporation. The improvement is due to the increased tortuous path in the selective layer, which created a higher resistance to the larger gas molecules (CH4 and N2) compared to the smaller gas molecules (CO2 and O2). The best performing membrane also demonstrated a lower degree of plasticization and a very stable performance over the entire 50-h operation, recording CO2/CH4 and O2/N2 gas pair selectivities of 52.57 (CO2 permeance: 28.08 GPU) and 8.05 (O2 permeance: 5.32 GPU), respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes)
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15 pages, 4574 KiB  
Article
Graphene Oxide-Based Membranes for Water Purification Applications: Effect of Plasma Treatment on the Adhesion and Stability of the Synthesized Membranes
by Omer Alnoor, Tahar Laoui, Ahmed Ibrahim, Feras Kafiah, Ghaith Nadhreen, Sultan Akhtar and Zafarullah Khan
Membranes 2020, 10(10), 292; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes10100292 - 17 Oct 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3817
Abstract
The adhesion enhancement of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layer in the underlying polyethersulfone (PES) microfiltration membrane is a crucial step towards developing a high-performance membrane for water purification applications. In the present study, we modified the surface of a [...] Read more.
The adhesion enhancement of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layer in the underlying polyethersulfone (PES) microfiltration membrane is a crucial step towards developing a high-performance membrane for water purification applications. In the present study, we modified the surface of a PES microfiltration membrane with plasma treatment (PT) carried out at different times (2, 10, and 20 min). We studied the effect of PT on the adhesion, stability, and performance of the synthesized GO/rGO-PES membranes. The membranes’ surface morphology and chemistry were characterized using atomic force microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The membrane performance was evaluated by conducting a diffusion test for potassium chloride (KCl) ions through the synthesized membranes. The results revealed that the 2 min PT enhanced the adhesion and stability of the deposited GO/rGO layer when compared to the other plasma-treated membranes. This was associated with an increase in the KCl ion rejection from ~27% to 57%. Surface morphology analysis at a high magnification was performed for the synthesized membranes before and after the diffusion test. Although the membrane’s rejection was improved, the analysis revealed that the GO layers suffered from micro/nano cracks, which negatively affected the membrane’s overall performance. The use of the rGO layer, however, helped in minimizing the GO cracks and enhanced the KCl ion rejection to approximately 94%. Upon increasing the number of rGO deposition cycles from three to five, the performance of the developed rGO-PES membrane was further improved, as confirmed by the increase in its ion rejection to ~99%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes)
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17 pages, 6281 KiB  
Article
The Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Bi-/Trimetallic Nanoparticles and Their Nanocomposite Membranes for Envisaged Water Treatment
by Lwazi Ndlwana, Keneiloe Sikhwivhilu, Richard Motlhaletsi Moutloali and Jane Catherine Ngila
Membranes 2020, 10(9), 232; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes10090232 - 14 Sep 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2530
Abstract
The impact of worldwide water scarcity, further exacerbated by environmental pollution, necessitates the development of effective water treatment membranes. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite membranes containing hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (HPEI) stabilized bi-and trimetallic nanoparticles. These membranes were prepared by blending [...] Read more.
The impact of worldwide water scarcity, further exacerbated by environmental pollution, necessitates the development of effective water treatment membranes. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite membranes containing hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (HPEI) stabilized bi-and trimetallic nanoparticles. These membranes were prepared by blending a pre-grafted Polyethersulfone (PES) powder with the Pd@Fe@HPEI and Pd@FeAg@HPEI nanoparticles followed by phase inversion. The membranes, together with stabilized nanoparticles, were characterized by several analytical techniques, such as attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), optical contact angle (OCA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). These techniques revealed the elemental composition, zerovalent nature of the nanoparticles, and their small and even size distribution. Surface analysis showed chemical bonding between the polymeric functional groups and the supported nanoparticles. Furthermore, the nanocomposite membranes were found to be hydrophilic. Additionally, the membranes were investigated for swelling (water uptake), porosity, pore size, pure water permeation fluxes, and they indicated a decreased protein adhesion property. As such, the membranes fabricated in this work indicate the required properties for application in water treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes)
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26 pages, 6887 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Integral Asymmetric Monophasic Cellulose–Acetate/Silica/Titania and Cellulose–Acetate/Titania Membranes
by Inês Peixoto, Mónica Faria and M. Clara Gonçalves
Membranes 2020, 10(9), 195; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes10090195 - 20 Aug 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3444
Abstract
Two series of novel integral asymmetric monophasic hybrid membranes, cellulose acetate/silica/titania (CA/SiO2/TiO2—series 1) and cellulose acetate/titania (CA/TiO2—series 2), were developed by the coupling of sol-gel technology and a modified version of the phase inversion technique. SEM micrographs [...] Read more.
Two series of novel integral asymmetric monophasic hybrid membranes, cellulose acetate/silica/titania (CA/SiO2/TiO2—series 1) and cellulose acetate/titania (CA/TiO2—series 2), were developed by the coupling of sol-gel technology and a modified version of the phase inversion technique. SEM micrographs confirmed the integral asymmetric structure of all membranes. ATR-FTIR and ICP-OES results showed that, for the membranes in series 1, TiO2 is covalently bound to SiO2, which, in turn, is covalently bound to CA, while for the membranes in series 2, TiO2 is directly and covalently bound to the CA matrix. Permeation experiments revealed that the permeation performance of the membranes in series 1 is unaffected by the introduction of TiO2. In contrast, the introduction of TiO2 in the series 2 membranes increased the hydraulic permeability by a factor of at least 2 when compared to the pristine CA membrane and that incremental additions of TiO2 further increased the Lp. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes)
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21 pages, 3774 KiB  
Article
Novel Carbon Quantum Dots/Silver Blended Polysulfone Membrane with Improved Properties and Enhanced Performance in Tartrazine Dye Removal
by Jin Yee Gan, Woon Chan Chong, Lan Ching Sim, Chai Hoon Koo, Yean Ling Pang, Ebrahim Mahmoudi and Abdul Wahab Mohammad
Membranes 2020, 10(8), 175; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes10080175 - 03 Aug 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3574
Abstract
This study produced a novel polysulfone (PSF) membrane for dye removal using lemon-derived carbon quantum dots-grafted silver nanoparticles (Ag/CQDs) as membrane nanofiller. The preparation of CQDs was completed by undergoing hydrothermal treatment to carbonize the pulp-free lemon juice into CQD solution. The CQD [...] Read more.
This study produced a novel polysulfone (PSF) membrane for dye removal using lemon-derived carbon quantum dots-grafted silver nanoparticles (Ag/CQDs) as membrane nanofiller. The preparation of CQDs was completed by undergoing hydrothermal treatment to carbonize the pulp-free lemon juice into CQD solution. The CQD solution was then coupled with Ag nanoparticles to form Ag/CQDs nanohybrid. The synthesized powders were characterized in terms of morphologies, functional groups and surface charges. A set of membranes was fabricated with different loadings of Ag/CQDs powder using the nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) method. The modified membranes were studied in terms of morphology, elemental composition, hydrophilicity and pore size. In addition, pure water flux, rejection test and fouling analysis of the membranes were evaluated using tartrazine dye. From the results, 0.5 wt % of Ag/CQD was identified as the optimum loading to be incorporated with the pristine PSF membrane. The modified membrane exhibited an excellent pure water permeability and dye rejection with improvements of 169% and 92%, respectively. In addition, the composite membrane also experienced lower flux decline, higher reversible fouling and lower irreversible fouling. This study has proven that the addition of CQD additives into membrane greatly improves the polymeric membrane’s properties and filtration performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes)
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11 pages, 4999 KiB  
Article
Organic-Inorganic Artificial Ion Channel Polyvinylidene Fluoride Membranes for Controllable Selectivity Transport of Alkali Metal Cations
by Ye Tian, Shaohua Jin, Xinxin Zhang, Lihua Wang, Yakai Lin, Yutao Jin and Lijie Li
Membranes 2020, 10(8), 174; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes10080174 - 31 Jul 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2038
Abstract
In this article, organic–inorganic hybrid materials with different functional groups were used to form organic–inorganic hybrid dense membranes for selective separation of mono/divalent ions by blending these materials and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in dimethylacetamide with HCl as the catalyst. The membranes prepared by [...] Read more.
In this article, organic–inorganic hybrid materials with different functional groups were used to form organic–inorganic hybrid dense membranes for selective separation of mono/divalent ions by blending these materials and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in dimethylacetamide with HCl as the catalyst. The membranes prepared by 3-(ureido benzene) propyltriethoxysilane (H1), 3-(ureido-4-methoxyphenyl) propyltriethoxysilane (H2), 3-(ureido-3-chloro-4-methoxyphenyl) propyltriethoxysilane (H3), 3-(ureidoindazolyl) propyltrieth-oxysilane (H4), or 3-(ureidopentanol) propyltriethoxysilane (H5) were labeled as HM1–HM5, respectively. The transport properties of different chlorides were tested. The effects of different anions on sodium cation transport were also tested. The results showed that HM1–HM4 could transport monovalent Li+, Na+, and K+ except Ca2+ and Mg2+, and the permeability of Li+, Na+, and K+ through the hybrid membranes followed the order of PNa+ > PK+ > PLi+. Moreover, membranes with different H2 content were also prepared due to HM2 having the best ion transport performance. The ion transport performance increased accordingly with the mass ratio of H2 to PVDF, and the permeability of Na+ was twice that of Li+ and K+ when the mass ratio was 15/10. Under this condition, it was also proved that NH4+ could not transport through the hybrid membrane with various selectivity for different anions as Cl− > NO3− > HCO3− > SO42−. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes)
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Review

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42 pages, 10984 KiB  
Review
Strategies in Forward Osmosis Membrane Substrate Fabrication and Modification: A Review
by Nur Diyana Suzaimi, Pei Sean Goh, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Stanley Chinedu Mamah, Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek, Jun Wei Lim, Kar Chun Wong and Nidal Hilal
Membranes 2020, 10(11), 332; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes10110332 - 07 Nov 2020
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 16488
Abstract
Forward osmosis (FO) has been recognized as the preferred alternative membrane-based separation technology for conventional water treatment technologies due to its high energy efficiency and promising separation performances. FO has been widely explored in the fields of wastewater treatment, desalination, food industry and [...] Read more.
Forward osmosis (FO) has been recognized as the preferred alternative membrane-based separation technology for conventional water treatment technologies due to its high energy efficiency and promising separation performances. FO has been widely explored in the fields of wastewater treatment, desalination, food industry and bio-products, and energy generation. The substrate of the typically used FO thin film composite membranes serves as a support for selective layer formation and can significantly affect the structural and physicochemical properties of the resultant selective layer. This signifies the importance of substrate exploration to fine-tune proper fabrication and modification in obtaining optimized substrate structure with regards to thickness, tortuosity, and porosity on the two sides. The ultimate goal of substrate modification is to obtain a thin and highly selective membrane with enhanced hydrophilicity, antifouling propensity, as well as long duration stability. This review focuses on the various strategies used for FO membrane substrate fabrication and modification. An overview of FO membranes is first presented. The extant strategies applied in FO membrane substrate fabrications and modifications in addition to efforts made to mitigate membrane fouling are extensively reviewed. Lastly, the future perspective regarding the strategies on different FO substrate layers in water treatment are highlighted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes)
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29 pages, 5168 KiB  
Review
Nanocomposite Membranes for Liquid and Gas Separations from the Perspective of Nanostructure Dimensions
by Pei Sean Goh, Kar Chun Wong and Ahmad Fauzi Ismail
Membranes 2020, 10(10), 297; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes10100297 - 21 Oct 2020
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5864
Abstract
One of the critical aspects in the design of nanocomposite membrane is the selection of a well-matched pair of nanomaterials and a polymer matrix that suits their intended application. By making use of the fascinating flexibility of nanoscale materials, the functionalities of the [...] Read more.
One of the critical aspects in the design of nanocomposite membrane is the selection of a well-matched pair of nanomaterials and a polymer matrix that suits their intended application. By making use of the fascinating flexibility of nanoscale materials, the functionalities of the resultant nanocomposite membranes can be tailored. The unique features demonstrated by nanomaterials are closely related to their dimensions, hence a greater attention is deserved for this critical aspect. Recognizing the impressive research efforts devoted to fine-tuning the nanocomposite membranes for a broad range of applications including gas and liquid separation, this review intends to discuss the selection criteria of nanostructured materials from the perspective of their dimensions for the production of high-performing nanocomposite membranes. Based on their dimension classifications, an overview of the characteristics of nanomaterials used for the development of nanocomposite membranes is presented. The advantages and roles of these nanomaterials in advancing the performance of the resultant nanocomposite membranes for gas and liquid separation are reviewed. By highlighting the importance of dimensions of nanomaterials that account for their intriguing structural and physical properties, the potential of these nanomaterials in the development of nanocomposite membranes can be fully harnessed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposite Membranes)
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