Fig. 1. Schematic of IL-mediated RO membrane fabrication. (a) IL-confined IP process on Kevlar substrate. (b) Free diffusion of Hz forming a thick layer with non-uniform pores. (c) Restricted diffusion of Hz by IL forming a thin layer with uniform pores. (d) Electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions between IL and Hz.
Fig. 2.Morphologies and chemical compositions of membranes. (a-c) SEM images; (d-f) AFM images with roughness (Ra); (g-i) XPS N 1s spectra deconvolution for CIP, HIP, and IL-HIP membranes, revealing nitrogen-containing functional group distributions.
调控肼与均苯三甲酰氯的界面聚合过程,成功制备了具有优异结构和性能的Hz基聚酰胺反渗透膜(IL-HIP)。Figure 2 的系统表征表明,IL-HIP膜表面呈现均匀平滑的形貌,其粗糙度(Ra=16.2 nm)显著低于对照组CIP膜(42.8 nm)和HIP膜(26.0 nm)。XPS分析进一步显示,IL-HIP膜表面含氮官能团分布更为均匀,且酰胺键密度较低,说明IL的加入有效抑制了单体的过度交联,促进了更有序、更薄(仅24 nm)的选择层形成。
Fig. 3.Structural and physicochemical properties of membranes and the monomer diffusion characteristic affected by IL. (a) Rejection of neutral organic compounds, determined MWCO and (b) estimated pore size distribution. (c) N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms and calculated specific surface areas. (d) Pore size distribution of polymers derived from N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms. (e) Contact angles over time. (f) Zeta potentials as a function of pH.(g, h) Pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR) diffusion coefficients of D₂O and N₂H₄ in HIP and IL-HIP membranes, reflecting mass transport behaviors. (i) MSD curves obtained from MD simulations, showing molecular mobility over time.
深入揭示了IL的调控机制及其对膜结构的影响。扩散实验与分子动力学模拟共同证实,IL通过氢键和静电作用显著减缓了Hz单体向界面的扩散,扩散系数降低近50%,从而使界面聚合过程更为可控。这一调控机制直接促使IL-HIP膜具备更窄的孔径分布、更高的表面亲水性以及更强的表面负电性(Zeta电位结果),这些特性为提升膜的抗污染能力奠定了结构基础。Fig. 4.Membrane separation performance. (a) Variation in the permselectivity of Hz-based membranes with changing the IL concentration. (b) Comparison of the permselectivity among three membranes. (c) Performance comparison between the IL-HIP membrane and the previously reported membranes (relevant data are available in Table S1 of the Supplementary Information). (d) Schematic diagram of the scaled-up membrane module. (e) Performance of the fabricated membrane at five different positions in the scaled-up membrane module. (f) Stability test of the IL-HIP membrane over 72 h.展示了IL-HIP膜卓越的分离性能。其水通量高达3.0 LMH/bar,同时保持了98.5%的高NaCl截留率。此外,该膜在大面积制备和长达72小时的连续运行中均表现出良好的性能稳定性和可扩展潜力,证明了其实际应用价值。
Fig. 5. Membrane antifouling performance towards SDS and DTAB. (a,b) Normalized flux profiles of the membranes during one or three cycles of 200 ppm SDS fouling and water flushing, showing flux decline and recovery behaviors. (d,e) Normalized flux profiles of the membranes during one or three cycles of 200 ppm DTAB fouling and water flushing, showing flux decline and recovery behaviors. Fouling decline ratio (FDR) and flux recovery ratio (FRR) for (c) SDS-fouled and (f) DTAB-fouled membranes across 3 cycles.The trade-off between permselectivity and antifouling performance for various RO membranes, including data from this study and prior reports. The x-axis denotes the A/(1-Rj) ratio (Rj represents the NaCl rejection), while the y-axis indicates (g) the sum of (1-FDR) and (h) the sum of FRR values obtained from fouling tests using both SDS and DTAB. The antifouling experiments were performed in triplicate on at least three independently prepared membranes for each condition.系统评估了膜的抗污染性能。面对包括阴离子表面活性剂(SDS)、阳离子表面活性剂(DTAB)在内的多种污染物,IL-HIP膜均展现出优异的抗污特性。在污染测试中,其通量下降率(FDR)普遍低于10%,且经简单水力清洗后,通量恢复率(FRR)超过98%。尤为重要的是,在针对SDS和DTAB的多轮污染-清洗循环中,IL-HIP膜的通量下降与恢复行为始终保持稳定,其综合抗污染性能显著优于对照组及文献中多数已报道的反渗透膜。这归因于其光滑的表面、均匀的孔径分布、高亲水性及适宜的带电性共同构筑的物理与化学屏障,有效抑制了不同类型污染物的吸附与沉积。