Highly selective separations of multivalent and monovalent cations in electrodialysis through Nafion membranes coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers

Sustainable Lithium Recovery from Hypersaline Salt-Lakes by Selective Electrodialysis: Transport and Thermodynamics

Evaporative technology for lithium mining from salt-lakes exacerbates freshwater scarcity and wetland destruction, and suffers from protracted production cycles. Electrodialysis (ED) offers an environmentally benign alternative for continuous lithium extraction and is amenable to renewable energy usage. Salt-lake brines, however, are hypersaline multicomponent mixtures, and the impact of the complex brine-membrane interactions remains poorly understood. Here, we quantify the influence of the solution composition, salinity, and acidity on the counterion selectivity and thermodynamic efficiency of electrodialysis, leveraging 1250 original measurements with salt-lake brines that span four feed salinities, three pH levels, and five current densities. Our experiments reveal that commonly used binary cation solutions, which neglect Na+ and K+ transport, may overestimate the Li+/Mg2+ selectivity by 250% and underpredict the specific energy consumption (SEC) by a factor of 54.8. As a result of the hypersaline conditions, exposure to salt-lake brine weakens the efficacy of Donnan exclusion, amplifying Mg2+ leakage. Higher current densities enhance the Donnan potential across the solution-membrane interface and ameliorate the selectivity degradation with hypersaline brines. However, a steep trade-off between counterion selectivity and thermodynamic efficiency governs ED's performance: a 6.25 times enhancement in Li+/Mg2+ selectivity is accompanied by a 71.6% increase in the SEC. Lastly, our analysis suggests that an industrial-scale ED module can meet existing salt-lake production capacities, while being powered by a photovoltaic farm that utilizes <1% of the salt-flat area.

Cation Exchange Membranes and Process Optimizations in Electrodialysis for Selective Metal Separation: A Review

The selective separation of metal species from various sources is highly desirable in applications such as hydrometallurgy, water treatment, and energy production but also challenging. Monovalent cation exchange membranes (CEMs) show a great potential to selectively separate one metal ion over others of the same or different valences from various effluents in electrodialysis. Selectivity among metal cations is influenced by both the inherent properties of membranes and the design and operating conditions of the electrodialysis process. The research progress and recent advances in membrane development and the implication of the electrodialysis systems on counter-ion selectivity are extensively reviewed in this work, focusing on both structure-property relationships of CEM materials and influences of process conditions and mass transport characteristics of target ions. Key membrane properties, such as charge density, water uptake, and polymer morphology, and strategies for enhancing ion selectivity are discussed. The implications of the boundary layer at the membrane surface are elucidated, where differences in the mass transport of ions at interfaces can be exploited to manipulate the transport ratio of competing counter-ions. Based on the progress, possible future R&D directions are also proposed.

Progress towards Stable and High-Performance Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Nanofiltration Membranes for Future Wastewater Treatment Applications

The increasing demand for nanofiltration processes in drinking water treatment, industrial separation and wastewater treatment processes has highlighted several shortcomings of current state-of-the-art thin film composite (TFC NF) membranes, including limitations in chemical resistance, fouling resistance and selectivity. Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) membranes provide a viable, industrially applicable alternative, providing significant improvements in these limitations. Laboratory experiments using artificial feedwaters have demonstrated selectivity an order of magnitude higher than polyamide NF, significantly higher fouling resistance and excellent chemical resistance (e.g., 200,000 ppmh chlorine resistance and stability over the 0-14 pH range). This review provides a brief overview of the various parameters that can be modified during the layer-by-layer procedure to determine and fine-tune the properties of the resulting NF membrane. The different parameters that can be adjusted during the layer-by-layer process are presented, which are used to optimize the properties of the resulting nanofiltration membrane. Substantial progress in PEM membrane development is presented, particularly selectivity improvements, of which the most promising route seems to be asymmetric PEM NF membranes, offering a breakthrough in active layer thickness and organic/salt selectivity: an average of 98% micropollutant rejection coupled with a NaCl rejection below 15%. Advantages for wastewater treatment are highlighted, including high selectivity, fouling resistance, chemical stability and a wide range of cleaning methods. Additionally, disadvantages of the current PEM NF membranes are also outlined; while these may impede their use in some industrial wastewater applications, they are largely not restrictive. The effect of realistic feeds (wastewaters and challenging surface waters) on PEM NF membrane performance is also presented: pilot studies conducted for up to 12 months show stable rejection values and no significant irreversible fouling. We close our review by identifying research areas where further studies are needed to facilitate the adoption of this notable technology.

Improvement of Selectivity of RALEX-CM Membranes via Modification by Ceria with a Functionalized Surface

Ion exchange membranes are widely used for water treatment and ion separation by electrodialysis. One of the ways to increase the efficiency of industrial membranes is their modification with various dopants. To improve the membrane permselectivity, a simple strategy of the membrane surface modification was proposed. Heterogeneous RALEX-CM membranes were surface-modified by ceria with a phosphate-functionalized surface. Despite a decrease in ionic conductivity of the prepared composite membranes, their cation transport numbers slightly increase. Moreover, the modified membranes show a threefold increase in Ca²⁺/Na⁺ permselectivity (from 2.1 to 6.1) at low current densities.

Ion and Molecular Transport in Solid Electrolytes Studied by NMR

NMR is the method of choice for molecular and ionic structures and dynamics investigations. The present review is devoted to solvation and mobilities in solid electrolytes, such as ion-exchange membranes and composite materials, based on cesium acid sulfates and phosphates. The applications of high-resolution NMR, solid-state NMR, NMR relaxation, and pulsed field gradient ¹H, ⁷Li, ¹³C, ¹⁹F, ²³Na, ³¹P, and ¹³³Cs NMR techniques are discussed. The main attention is paid to the transport channel morphology, ionic hydration, charge group and mobile ion interaction, and translation ions and solvent mobilities in different spatial scales. Self-diffusion coefficients of protons and Li⁺, Na⁺, and Cs⁺ cations are compared with the ionic conductivity data. The microscopic ionic transfer mechanism is discussed.

Polyelectrolytes as Building Blocks for Next-Generation Membranes with Advanced Functionalities

The global society is in a transition, where dealing with climate change and water scarcity are important challenges. More efficient separations of chemical species are essential to reduce energy consumption and to provide more reliable access to clean water. Here, membranes with advanced functionalities that go beyond standard separation properties can play a key role. This includes relevant functionalities, such as stimuli-responsiveness, fouling control, stability, specific selectivity, sustainability, and antimicrobial activity. Polyelectrolytes and their complexes are an especially promising system to provide advanced membrane functionalities. Here, we have reviewed recent work where advanced membrane properties stem directly from the material properties provided by polyelectrolytes. This work highlights the versatility of polyelectrolyte-based membrane modifications, where polyelectrolytes are not only applied as single layers, including brushes, but also as more complex polyelectrolyte multilayers on both porous membrane supports and dense membranes. Moreover, free-standing membranes can also be produced completely from aqueous polyelectrolyte solutions allowing much more sustainable approaches to membrane fabrication. The Review demonstrates the promise that polyelectrolytes and their complexes hold for next-generation membranes with advanced properties, while it also provides a clear outlook on the future of this promising field.

Cation Exchange Membranes Coated with Polyethyleneimine and Crown Ether to Improve Monovalent Cation Electrodialytic Selectivity

Developing monovalent cation permselective membranes (MCPMs) with high-efficient permselectivity is the core concern in specific industrial applications. In this work, we have fabricated a series of novel cation exchange membranes (CEMs) based on sulfonated polysulfone (SPSF) surface modification by polyethyleneimine (PEI) and 4′-aminobenzo-12-crown-4 (12C4) codeposited with dopamine (DA) successively, which was followed by the cross-linking of glutaraldehyde (GA). The as-prepared membranes before and after modification were systematically characterized with regard to their structures as well as their physicochemical and electrochemical properties. Particularly, the codeposition sequence of modified ingredients was investigated on galvanostatic permselectivity to cations. The modified membrane (M-12C4-0.50-PEI) exhibits significantly prominent selectivity to Li⁺ ions (PMg2+Li+ = 5.23) and K⁺ ions (PMg2+K+ = 13.56) in Li⁺/Mg²⁺ and K⁺/Mg²⁺ systems in electrodialysis (ED), which is far superior to the pristine membrane (M-0, PMg2+Li+ = 0.46, PMg2+K+ = 1.23) at a constant current density of 5.0 mA·cm⁻². It possibly arises from the synergistic effects of electrostatic repulsion (positively charged PEI), pore-size sieving (distribution of modified ingredients), and specific interaction effect (12C4 ~Li⁺). This facile strategy may provide new insights into developing selective CEMs in the separation of specific cations by ED.

Layer-by-layer assembly in nanochannels: assembly mechanism and applications

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly is a versatile technology to construct multifunctional nanomaterials using various supporting substrates, enabled by the large selection freedom of building materials and diversity of possible driving forces. The fine regulation over the film thickness and structure provides an elegant way to tune the physical/chemical properties by mild assembly conditions (e.g. pH, ion strength). In this review, we focus on LbL in nanochannels, which exhibit a different growth mechanism compared to "open", convex substrates. The assembly mechanism in nanochannels is discussed in detail, followed by the summary of applications of LbL assemblies liberated from nanochannel templates which can be used as nanoreactors, drug carriers and transporting channels across cell membranes. For fluidic applications, robust membrane substrates are required to keep in place nanotube arrays for membrane-based separation, purification, biosensing and energy harvesting, which are also discussed. The good compatibility of LbL with crossover technologies from other fields allows researchers to further extend this technology to a broader range of research fields, which is expected to result in an increased number of applications of LbL technology in the future.

Frontiers of Membrane Desalination Processes for Brackish Water Treatment: A Review

Climate change, population growth, and increased industrial activities are exacerbating freshwater scarcity and leading to increased interest in desalination of saline water. Brackish water is an attractive alternative to freshwater due to its low salinity and widespread availability in many water-scarce areas. However, partial or total desalination of brackish water is essential to reach the water quality requirements for a variety of applications. Selection of appropriate technology requires knowledge and understanding of the operational principles, capabilities, and limitations of the available desalination processes. Proper combination of feedwater technology improves the energy efficiency of desalination. In this article, we focus on pressure-driven and electro-driven membrane desalination processes. We review the principles, as well as challenges and recent improvements for reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), electrodialysis (ED), and membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI). RO is the dominant membrane process for large-scale desalination of brackish water with higher salinity, while ED and MCDI are energy-efficient for lower salinity ranges. Selective removal of multivalent components makes NF an excellent option for water softening. Brackish water desalination with membrane processes faces a series of challenges. Membrane fouling and scaling are the common issues associated with these processes, resulting in a reduction in their water recovery and energy efficiency. To overcome such adverse effects, many efforts have been dedicated toward development of pre-treatment steps, surface modification of membranes, use of anti-scalant, and modification of operational conditions. However, the effectiveness of these approaches depends on the fouling propensity of the feed water. In addition to the fouling and scaling, each process may face other challenges depending on their state of development and maturity. This review provides recent advances in the material, architecture, and operation of these processes that can assist in the selection and design of technologies for particular applications. The active research directions to improve the performance of these processes are also identified. The review shows that technologies that are tunable and particularly efficient for partial desalination such as ED and MCDI are increasingly competitive with traditional RO processes. Development of cost-effective ion exchange membranes with high chemical and mechanical stability can further improve the economy of desalination with electro-membrane processes and advance their future applications.

Ionic Mobility in Ion-Exchange Membranes

Membrane technologies are widely demanded in a number of modern industries. Ion-exchange membranes are one of the most widespread and demanded types of membranes. Their main task is the selective transfer of certain ions and prevention of transfer of other ions or molecules, and the most important characteristics are ionic conductivity and selectivity of transfer processes. Both parameters are determined by ionic and molecular mobility in membranes. To study this mobility, the main techniques used are nuclear magnetic resonance and impedance spectroscopy. In this comprehensive review, mechanisms of transfer processes in various ion-exchange membranes, including homogeneous, heterogeneous, and hybrid ones, are discussed. Correlations of structures of ion-exchange membranes and their hydration with ion transport mechanisms are also reviewed. The features of proton transfer, which plays a decisive role in the membrane used in fuel cells and electrolyzers, are highlighted. These devices largely determine development of hydrogen energy in the modern world. The features of ion transfer in heterogeneous and hybrid membranes with inorganic nanoparticles are also discussed.

Modification of Cation-Exchange Membranes with Polyelectrolyte Multilayers to Tune Ion Selectivity in Capacitive Deionization

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a desalination technique that can be applied for the separation of target ions from water streams. For instance, mono- and divalent cation selectivities were studied by other research groups in the context of water softening. Another focus is on removing Na⁺ from recirculated irrigation water (IW) in greenhouses, aiming to maintain nutrients. This is important as an excess of Na⁺ has toxic effects on plant growth by decreasing the uptake of other nutrients. In this study, we investigated the selective separation of sodium (Na⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) in MCDI using a polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) on a standard grade cation-exchange membrane (Neosepta, CMX). Alternating layers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) were coated on a CMX membrane (CMX-PEM) using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. The layer formation was examined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and static water contact angle measurements (SWA) for each layer. For each membrane, i.e., the CMX-PEM membrane, CMX membrane, and for a special-grade cation-exchange membrane (Neosepta, CIMS), the Na⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivity was investigated by performing MCDI experiments, and selectivity values of 2.8 ± 0.2, 0.5 ± 0.04, and 0.4 ± 0.1 were found, respectively, over up to 40 cycles. These selectivity values indicate flexible switching from a Mg²⁺-selective membrane to a Na⁺-selective membrane by straightforward modification with a PEM. We anticipate that our modular functionalization method may facilitate the further development of ion-selective membranes and electrodes.

Selectivity of Transport Processes in Ion-Exchange Membranes: Relationship with the Structure and Methods for Its Improvement

Nowadays, ion-exchange membranes have numerous applications in water desalination, electrolysis, chemistry, food, health, energy, environment and other fields. All of these applications require high selectivity of ion transfer, i.e., high membrane permselectivity. The transport properties of ion-exchange membranes are determined by their structure, composition and preparation method. For various applications, the selectivity of transfer processes can be characterized by different parameters, for example, by the transport number of counterions (permselectivity in electrodialysis) or by the ratio of ionic conductivity to the permeability of some gases (crossover in fuel cells). However, in most cases there is a correlation: the higher the flux density of the target component through the membrane, the lower the selectivity of the process. This correlation has two aspects: first, it follows from the membrane material properties, often expressed as the trade-off between membrane permeability and permselectivity; and, second, it is due to the concentration polarization phenomenon, which increases with an increase in the applied driving force. In this review, both aspects are considered. Recent research and progress in the membrane selectivity improvement, mainly including a number of approaches as crosslinking, nanoparticle doping, surface modification, and the use of special synthetic methods (e.g., synthesis of grafted membranes or membranes with a fairly rigid three-dimensional matrix) are summarized. These approaches are promising for the ion-exchange membranes synthesis for electrodialysis, alternative energy, and the valuable component extraction from natural or waste-water. Perspectives on future development in this research field are also discussed.

Characterization of MK-40 Membrane Modified by Layers of Cation Exchange and Anion Exchange Polyelectrolytes

Coating of ion exchange membranes used in electrodialysis with layers of polyelectrolytes is a proven approach that allows for the increasing of the limiting current, the suppressing of sedimentation, the controlling of the intensity of generation of H⁺ and OH⁻ ions, and also the improving of monovalent selectivity. However, in the case when two materials with the opposite sign of the charge of fixed groups come in contact, a bipolar boundary is created that can cause undesirable changes in the membrane properties. In this work, we used a MK-40 heterogeneous membrane on the surface of which a layer of polyethyleneimine was applied by adsorption from a solution as a model of heterogeneous membranes modified with oppositely charged polyelectrolyte. It was found that, on one hand, the properties of modified membrane were beneficial for electrodialysis, its limiting current did not decrease and the membrane even acquired a barrier to non-selective electrolyte transport. At the same time, the generation of H⁺ and OH⁻ ions of low intensity arose, even in underlimiting current modes. It was also shown that despite the presence of a layer of polyethyleneimine, the surface charge of the modified membrane remained negative, which we associate with low protonation of polyethyleneimine at neutral pH.

Nafion-Based Low-Hydration Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Membranes for Enhanced Water Purification

The increase of micropollutant concentration in both surface and groundwater is an emerging concern for the environment and human health. Most of such small organic molecules (medicines, hormones, and plasticizers) enter the environment via our wastewater, because they are not sufficiently removed by the current techniques applied in wastewater treatment plants. A possible solution to remove micropollutants is the usage of polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) based membranes. PEM membranes have received a growing interest in the past decade due to their high chemical and physical stability and their high permeability and selectivity. A popular polyelectrolyte pair to make dense PEM membranes with high salt retentions is the combination of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS). Unfortunately, smaller micropollutants (such as bisphenol A, sulfamethoxazole, naproxen, and bezafibrate) still show significant permeation through this membrane. In this study, for the first time, a single final layer of Nafion is applied on the PEM to increase the density of the PEM membrane. It is shown that when terminating with Nafion, the swelling of the multilayer decreases by 50%. These pronounced changes in layer structure are reflected by changes in membrane performance, such as a lower molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) and an increasing hydraulic membrane resistance. Furthermore, we show that the Nafion content of the multilayer can be increased by constructing a Nafion/PAH multilayer on top of the existing PSS/PAH multilayer, thereby lowering the MWCO. Although hydraulic resistance increases, these PSS/PAH/Nafion-based multilayers show excellent performance in rejecting difficult-to-remove micropollutants that have low molecular weight (200-650 Da) and different charges. Overall, a cocktail of eight small micropollutants can be removed up to 97% by these membranes, allowing strongly enhanced water purification.

The Future of Layer-by-Layer Assembly: A Tribute to ACS Nano Associate Editor Helmuth Möhwald

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly is a widely used tool for engineering materials and coatings. In this Perspective, dedicated to the memory of ACS Nano associate editor Prof. Dr. Helmuth Möhwald, we discuss the developments and applications that are to come in LbL assembly, focusing on coatings, bulk materials, membranes, nanocomposites, and delivery vehicles.

Mussel-Inspired Surface Functionalization of AEM for Simultaneously Improved Monovalent Anion Selectivity and Antibacterial Property

A facile membrane surface modification process for improving permselectivity and antimicrobial property was proposed. A polydopamine (PDA) coating was firstly fabricated on pristine anion exchange membrane (AEM), followed by in situ reduction of Ag without adding any extra reductant. Finally, 2,5-diaminobenzene sulfonic acid (DSA) was grafted onto PDA layer via Michael addition reaction. The as-prepared AEM exhibited improved permselectivity (from 0.60 to 1.43) and effective inhibition of bacterial growth. In addition, the result of the long-term (90-h continuous electrodialysis) test expressed the excellent durability of the modified layer on membrane surface, because the concentration of Cl- and SO₄²- in diluted chamber fluctuated ~0.024 and 0.030 mol·L-1 with no distinct decline. The method described in this work makes the full use of multifunctional PDA layer (polymer-like coating, in situ reduction and post-organic reaction), and a rational design of functional AEM was established for better practical application.

High Selectivities among Monovalent Cations in Dialysis through Cation-Exchange Membranes Coated with Polyelectrolyte Multilayers

Cation-exchange membranes allow preferential passage of cations over anions, but they show minimal selectivity among cations, which limits their use in ion separations. Recent studies show that modification of cation-exchange membranes with polyelectrolyte multilayers leads to exceptional monovalent/divalent cation electrodialysis selectivities, but no studies report high selectivity among monovalent ions. This work demonstrates that adsorption of protonated poly(allylamine) (PAH)/poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) multilayers on Nafion membranes leads to high K⁺/Li⁺ selectivities in Donnan dialysis, where K⁺ and Li⁺ ions in a source phase pass through the membrane and exchange with Na⁺ ions in a receiving phase. Addition of 0.01 M HNO₃ to a source phase containing 0.01 M KNO₃ and 0.01 M LiNO₃ increases the K⁺/Li⁺ selectivity from 8 to ∼60 through (PAH/PSS)₅PAH-coated Nafion membranes, primarily because of a ≥fivefold increase in K⁺ flux. These selectivities are much larger than the ratio of 1.9 for the aqueous diffusion coefficients of K⁺ and Li⁺, and uncoated Nafion membranes give a K⁺/Li⁺ selectivity <3. Bi-ionic transmembrane potential measurements at neutral pH confirm that the membrane is more permeable to K⁺ than Li⁺, but this selectivity is less than in Donnan dialysis with acidic solutions. In situ ellipsometry data indicate that PAH/PSS multilayers (assembled at pH 2.3, 7.5, or 9.3) swell at pH 2.0, and this swelling may open cation-exchange sites that preferentially bind K⁺ to enable highly selective transport. The coated membranes also exhibit modest selectivity for K⁺ over H⁺, suggesting selective transport based on preferential partitioning of K⁺ into the coatings. Selectivity declines when increasing the source-phase KNO₃ concentration to 0.1 M, perhaps because the discriminating transport pathway saturates. Moreover, selectivities are lower in electrodialysis than in Donnan dialysis, presumably because electrodialysis engages other transport mechanisms, such as electroosmosis and strong electromigration.

Treatment of Palm Oil Mill Effluent Using Membrane Bioreactor: Novel Processes and Their Major Drawbacks

Over the years, different types of alternative technologies have been developed and used for palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment. Specifically, membrane bioreactor (MBR) has been employed to relegate pollutants contained in POME under different operating conditions, and the technology was found to be promising. The major challenge impeding the wider application of this technology is membrane fouling, which usually attracts high operating energy and running cost. In this regard, novel methods of mitigating membrane fouling through the treatment processes have been developed. Therefore, this review article specifically focuses on the recent treatment processes of POME using MBR, with particular emphasis on innovative processes conditions such as aerobic, anaerobic, and hybrid processing as well as their performance in relation to fouling minimization. Furthermore, the effects of sonication and thermophilic and mesophilic conditions on membrane blockage were critically reviewed. The types of foulants and fouling mechanism as influenced by different operating conditions were also analyzed censoriously.

Preparation of poly(styrenesulfonic acid) grafted Nafion with a Nafion-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization for proton exchange membranes

Nafion-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization to prepare graft copolymers of Nafion for proton exchange membranes.