Zeolite membranes for ion separations from aqueous solutions

Industrial Separation Challenges: How Does Supramolecular Chemistry Help?

The chemical industry and the chemical processes underscoring it are under intense scrutiny as the demands for the transition to more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices are increasing. Traditional industrial separation systems, such as thermally driven distillation for hydrocarbon purification, are energy intensive. The development of more energy efficient separation technologies is thus emerging as a critical need, as is the creation of new materials that may permit a transition away from classic distillation-based separations. In this Perspective, we focus on porous organic cages and macrocycles that can adsorb guest molecules selectively through various host-guest interactions and permit molecular sieving behavior at the molecular level. Specifically, we summarize the recent advances where receptor-based adsorbent materials have been shown to be effective for industrially relevant hydrocarbon separations, highlighting the underlying host-guest interactions that impart selectivity and permit the observed separations. This approach to sustainable separations is currently in its infancy. Nevertheless, several receptor-based adsorbent materials with extrinsic/intrinsic voids or special functional groups have been reported in recent years that can selectively capture various targeted guest molecules. We believe that the understanding of the interactions that drive selectivity at a molecular level accruing from these initial systems will permit an ever-more-effective "bottom-up" design of tailored molecular sieves that, in due course, will allow adsorbent material-based approaches to separations to transition from the laboratory into an industrial setting.

Fluids and Electrolytes under Confinement in Single-Digit Nanopores

Confined fluids and electrolyte solutions in nanopores exhibit rich and surprising physics and chemistry that impact the mass transport and energy efficiency in many important natural systems and industrial applications. Existing theories often fail to predict the exotic effects observed in the narrowest of such pores, called single-digit nanopores (SDNs), which have diameters or conduit widths of less than 10 nm, and have only recently become accessible for experimental measurements. What SDNs reveal has been surprising, including a rapidly increasing number of examples such as extraordinarily fast water transport, distorted fluid-phase boundaries, strong ion-correlation and quantum effects, and dielectric anomalies that are not observed in larger pores. Exploiting these effects presents myriad opportunities in both basic and applied research that stand to impact a host of new technologies at the water-energy nexus, from new membranes for precise separations and water purification to new gas permeable materials for water electrolyzers and energy-storage devices. SDNs also present unique opportunities to achieve ultrasensitive and selective chemical sensing at the single-ion and single-molecule limit. In this review article, we summarize the progress on nanofluidics of SDNs, with a focus on the confinement effects that arise in these extremely narrow nanopores. The recent development of precision model systems, transformative experimental tools, and multiscale theories that have played enabling roles in advancing this frontier are reviewed. We also identify new knowledge gaps in our understanding of nanofluidic transport and provide an outlook for the future challenges and opportunities at this rapidly advancing frontier.

Zeolite Application in Wastewater Treatment

As a scarce natural resource, the preservation of water quality is of fundamental importance to guarantee its availability for future generations. Due to the increasing industrial activity, effluents are generated with a series of chemical compounds, such as nitrogenous, phosphoric, and organic compounds, heavy metals, and dyes which, if improperly disposed of, contribute to contamination, followed by significant environmental impacts, in addition to the damage to human health. The adsorption technique is an effective approach for removing contaminants from effluents, showing high versatility, due to the use of various materials as adsorbents. Belonging to a wide variety of materials, zeolites reveal to be a promising adsorbent. Zeolites are minerals found in nature or which can be synthesized from industrial residues, standing out in the treatment of contaminated effluents. Zeolite removal efficiency depends on the contaminant to be removed and can reach up to 96% for heavy metals, 90% for phosphoric compounds, 96% for dyes, 80% for nitrogen compounds, and 89% for organics. Aiming at the identification of the more relevant findings and research gaps to advance the use of zeolites in the large-scale treatment of industrial effluents, a review on the recent application of zeolites is needed. This paper presents a global view of zeolites, and a review is conducted on several recent studies using zeolites as adsorbents for the contaminants considered, indicating the main characteristics of the various adsorption systems, demonstrating the particularities of each process, and aiming to reveal useful information to provide future research, in addition to identifying points that need further investigation.

Two-Dimensional MFI Zeolite Nanosheets Exfoliated by Surfactant Assisted Solution Process

Two-dimensional (2D) zeolite nanosheets are important for the synthesis of high flux zeolite membranes due to their lateral size in a preferred orientation. A way to obtain 2D zeolite nanosheets is to exfoliate interlocked structures generated during the hydrothermal synthesis. The mechanical and polymer assisted exfoliation process leads to mechanical damage in nanosheets and short lateral size. In the present study, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was introduced as an exfoliation agent and dispersant, so that multilamellar interlocked silicalite-1 zeolite nanosheets successfully exfoliated into a large lateral size (individual nanosheets 500~1200 nm). The good exfoliation behavior was due to the strong penetration of PVP into multilamellar nanosheets. Sonication assisted by mild milling helps PVP molecules to penetrate through the lamellar structure, contributing to the expansion of the distance between adjacent layers and thus decreasing the interactions between each layer. In addition, the stability of exfoliated nanosheets was evaluated with a series of organic solvents. The exfoliated nanosheets were well dispersed in n-butanol and stable for 30 days. Therefore, the PVP-assisted solution-based exfoliation process provides high aspect ratio MFI zeolite nanosheets in organic solvents for a long period.

Precise Sub-Angstrom Ion Separation Using Conjugated Microporous Polymer Membranes

Polymer membranes typically possess a broad pore-size distribution that leads to much lower selectivity in ion separation when compared to membranes made of crystalline porous materials; however, they are highly desirable because of their easy processability and low cost. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of ion-sieving membranes based on a polycarbazole-type conjugated microporous polymer using an easy to scale-up electropolymerization strategy. The membranes exhibited high uniform sub-nanometer pores and a precisely tunable membrane thickness, yielding a high ion-sieving performance with a sub-1 Å size precision. Both experimental results and molecular simulations suggested that the impressive ion-sieving performance of the CMP membranes originates from their uniform and narrow pore-size distribution.

Mineral Materials Coated with and Consisting of MnOx-Characteristics and Application of Filter Media for Groundwater Treatment: A Review

For groundwater treatment, the technologies involving oxidation on MnOx filter bed are beneficial, common, and effectively used. The presence of MnOx is the mutual feature of filter media, both MnOx-coated mineral materials like quartz sand and gravel, chalcedonite, diatomite, glauconite, zeolite, or anthracite along with consisting of MnOx manganese ores. This review is based on the analysis of research and review papers, commercial data sheets, and standards. The paper aimed to provide new suggestions and useful information for further investigation of MnOx filter media for groundwater treatment. The presented compilations are based on the characteristics of coatings, methods, and conditions of its obtaining and type of filter media. The relationship between the properties of MnOx amendments and the obtained purification effects as well as the commonly used commercial products, their features, and applications have been discussed. The paper concludes by mentioning about improving catalytic/adsorption properties of non-reactive siliceous media opposed to ion-exchange minerals and about possible significance of birnessite type manganese oxide for water treatment. Research needs related to the assessment of the use MnOx filter media to heavy metals removal from groundwater in field operations and to standardize methodology of testing MnOx filter media for water treatment were identified.

Ultrathin ZSM-5 zeolite nanosheet laminated membrane for high-flux desalination of concentrated brines

The tremendous potential of zeolite membranes for efficient molecular separation via size-exclusion effects is highly desired by the energy and chemical industries, but its practical realization has been hindered by nonselective permeation through intercrystalline spaces and high resistance to intracrystalline diffusion in the conventional zeolite membranes of randomly oriented polycrystalline structures. Here, we report the synthesis of ZSM-5 zeolite nanosheets with very large aspect ratios and nanometer-scale thickness in the preferred straight channel direction. We used these ZSM-5 nanosheets to fabricate ultrathin (<500 nm) laminated membranes on macroporous alumina substrates by a simple dip-coating process and subsequent consolidation via vapor-phase crystallization. This ultrathin b-oriented ZSM-5 membrane has demonstrated extraordinary water flux combined with high salt rejection in pervaporation desalination for brines containing up to 24 weight % of dissolved NaCl. The ZSM-5 nanosheets may also offer opportunities to developing high-performance battery ion separators, catalysts, adsorbents, and thin-film sensors.

Progress of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Treatment

The use of membrane-based technologies has been applied for water treatment applications; however, the limitations of conventional polymeric membranes have led to the addition of inorganic fillers to enhance their performance. In recent years, nanocomposite membranes have greatly attracted the attention of scientists for water treatment applications such as wastewater treatment, water purification, removal of microorganisms, chemical compounds, heavy metals, etc. The incorporation of different nanofillers, such as carbon nanotubes, zinc oxide, graphene oxide, silver and copper nanoparticles, titanium dioxide, 2D materials, and some other novel nano-scale materials into polymeric membranes have provided great advances, e.g., enhancing on hydrophilicity, suppressing the accumulation of pollutants and foulants, enhancing rejection efficiencies and improving mechanical properties and thermal stabilities. Thereby, the aim of this work is to provide up-to-date information related to those novel nanocomposite membranes and their contribution for water treatment applications.

A zeolite-like aluminophosphate membrane with molecular-sieving property for water desalination

A fascinating membrane material composed of polycrystalline zeolite-like aluminophosphate with narrow pore and high water uptake is well developed, which exhibits superior desalination performance in terms of excellent ion rejection and record water flux.

Membrane desalination has been proposed as a promising strategy to address the worldwide challenge of water scarcity. The development of membrane desalination is impeded by the limited availability of membrane materials, thus, selective membranes with high water fluxes are in high demand. Therefore, the synthesis of a zeolite-like aluminophosphate membrane for water desalination is reported herein. An AlPO₄-18 membrane without visible cracks was prepared on stainless steel nets via a seeded approach. The specific adsorption and diffusion properties of the AlPO₄-18 membrane toward water were simultaneously investigated by vapor adsorption measurements and molecular simulation. A large adsorption capacity indicates the excellent water affinity of the AlPO₄-18 membrane, and water gathering around other water molecules suggests stronger water–water interactions than framework–water interactions. Meanwhile, water molecules transport rapidly through the pores, assisted by a built-in pathway and directed diffusion. The as-synthesized membranes are further evaluated for water desalination. The desalination tests of seawater containing both single and multi-component ions demonstrate that the AlPO₄-18 membrane is very selective for water transport, evidenced by very high rejection degrees for cations (>99%). Moreover, the AlPO₄-18 membrane exhibits unprecedented high water fluxes (2.14 kg m^–2 h^–1 in average). The superior performances of good selectivity, high water permeability and high stability ensure the potential application of supported aluminophosphate membranes in desalination.

Recent advances in nanomaterials for water protection and monitoring

Nanomaterials (NMs) for adsorption, catalysis, separation, and disinfection are scrutinized. NMs-based sensor technologies and environmental transformations of NMs are highlighted.

Effect of zeolite on SPEEK /zeolite hybrid membrane as electrolyte for microbial fuel cell applications

A zeolite (H-faujasite) incorporated SPEEK membrane was demonstrated as an effective proton exchange membrane for Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) application.