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Zhao C, Feng F, Hou J, Hu J, Su Y, Liu JZ, Hill M, Freeman BD, Wang H, Zhang H. Unlocking Direct Lithium Extraction in Harsh Conditions through Thiol-Functionalized Metal-Organic Framework Subnanofluidic Membranes. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:14058-14066. [PMID: 38733559 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c02477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes with high ion selectivity are highly desirable for direct lithium-ion (Li+) separation from industrial brines. However, very few MOF membranes can efficiently separate Li+ from brines of high Mg2+/Li+ concentration ratios and keep stable in ultrahigh Mg2+-concentrated brines. This work reports a type of MOF-channel membranes (MOFCMs) by growing UiO-66-(SH)2 into the nanochannels of polymer substrates to improve the efficiency of MOF membranes for challenging Li+ extraction. The resulting membranes demonstrate excellent monovalent metal ion selectivity over divalent metal ions, with Li+/Mg2+ selectivity up to 103 since Mg2+ should overcome a higher energy barrier than Li+ when transported through the MOF pores, as confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations. Under dual-ion diffusion, as the Mg2+/Li+ mole ratio of the feed solution increases from 0.2 to 30, the membrane Li+/Mg2+ selectivity decreases from 1516 to 19, corresponding to the purity of lithium products between 99.9 and 95.0%. Further research on multi-ion diffusion that involves Mg2+ and three monovalent metal ions (K+, Na+, and Li+, referred to as M+) in the feed solutions shows a significant improvement in Li+/Mg2+ separation efficiency. The Li+/Mg2+ selectivity can go up to 1114 when the Mg2+/M+ molar concentration ratio is 1:1, and it remains at 19 when the ratio is 30:1. The membrane selectivity is also stable for 30 days in a highly concentrated solution with a high Mg2+/Li+ concentration ratio. These results indicate the feasibility of the MOFCMs for direct lithium extraction from brines with Mg2+ concentrations up to 3.5 M. This study provides an alternative strategy for designing efficient MOF membranes in extracting valuable minerals in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhao
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Fan Feng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Jue Hou
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Jian Hu
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Yuyu Su
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Jefferson Zhe Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Matthew Hill
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Benny D Freeman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Huanting Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Huacheng Zhang
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
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Yu S, Li C, Zhao S, Chai M, Hou J, Lin R. Recent advances in the interfacial engineering of MOF-based mixed matrix membranes for gas separation. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:7716-7733. [PMID: 38536054 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00096j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The membrane process stands as a promising and transformative technology for efficient gas separation due to its high energy efficiency, operational simplicity, low environmental impact, and easy up-and-down scaling. Metal-organic framework (MOF)-polymer mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) combine MOFs' superior gas-separation performance with polymers' processing versatility, offering the opportunity to address the limitations of pure polymer or inorganic membranes for large-scale integration. However, the incompatibility between the rigid MOFs and flexible polymer chains poses a challenge in MOF MMM fabrication, which can cause issues such as MOF agglomeration, sedimentation, and interfacial defects, substantially weakening membrane separation efficiency and mechanical properties, particularly gas separation. This review focuses on engineering MMMs' interfaces, detailing recent strategies for reducing interfacial defects, improving MOF dispersion, and enhancing MOF loading. Advanced characterisation techniques for understanding membrane properties, specifically the MOF-polymer interface, are outlined. Lastly, it explores the remaining challenges in MMM research and outlines potential future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuwen Yu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou, 234000, China
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Conger Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Shuke Zhao
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Milton Chai
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Jingwei Hou
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Rijia Lin
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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Yu MY, Yao YF, Fang K, Chen LS, Si LP, Liu HY. 2D Metal Porphyrin-Based MOFs and ZIF-8 Composite-Derived Carbon Materials Containing M-N x Active Sites as Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Zinc-Air Batteries. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:16132-16144. [PMID: 38511296 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c18384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The main impediment to the development of zinc-air batteries is the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Transition metal N-doped carbon catalysts offer a promising alternative to noble metal catalysts, with metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived carbon material catalysts being particularly noteworthy. Here, we synthesized MxP-Z-C carbon catalysts by combining two-dimensional (2D) metal porphyrin-based MOFs (MxPMFs, x = Fe, Co, Ni, Mn) and three-dimensional zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) through electrostatic interaction, followed by carbonization. ZIF-8 was inserted between the layers of MxPMFs to prevent its Π-Π stacking, allowing the active sites to become fully exposed. MxP-Z-C demonstrated an impressive catalytic activity for both the ORR and the OER reactions. Among them, FeP-Z-C showed the best catalytic activity. The half-wave potential for ORR was 0.92 V (vs the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)), while the overpotential for the OER was 290 mV. In addition, the zinc-air battery assembled by FeP-Z-C exhibited high power density (133.14 mW cm-2) and significant specific capacity (816 mAh gZn-1), indicating considerable potential as a bifunctional catalyst for electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Yi Yu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Yan-Fang Yao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Kun Fang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Li-Shui Chen
- Guangzhou Double One Latex Products Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510830, China
| | - Li-Ping Si
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
- School of Materials Science and Energy Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
| | - Hai-Yang Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
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Bai X, Lu Y, Wang M, Yu X, Huang Z. Enhanced properties of a positive-charged nanofiltration membrane containing quaternarized chitosan through second interfacial polymerization for the removal of salts and pharmaceuticals. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2024; 89:2020-2034. [PMID: 38678406 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2024.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
Nanofiltration (NF) membrane technology has been widely used in the removal of salts and trace organic pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), due to its superiority. A positive-charged composite NF membrane with an active skin layer was prepared by polyethyleneimine (PEI), trimethyl benzene chloride, and quaternate chitosan (HTCC) through second interfacial polymerization on the polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane. The physicochemical properties of the nanocomposite membrane were investigated using surface morphology, hydrophilicity, surface charge, and molecular weight cut-off (MWCO). The influence of the concentration and reaction time of PEI and HTCC was documented. The optimized membrane had a MWCO of about 481 Da and possessed a pure water permeability of 25.37 L·m-2·h-1·MPa-1. The results also exhibited salt rejection ability as MgCl2 > CaCl2 > MgSO4 > Na2SO4 > NaCl > KCl, showing a positive charge on the fabricated membrane. In addition, the membrane had higher rejection to atenolol, carbamazepine, amlodipine, and ibuprofen at 89.46, 86.02, 90.12, and 77.21%, respectively. Moreover, the anti-fouling performance and stability of the NF membrane were also improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhui Bai
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China; X.B. and Y.L. contributed equally to this manuscript
| | - Yuting Lu
- School of Sino-French Engineer, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China; X.B. and Y.L. contributed equally to this manuscript
| | - Mudan Wang
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Xinyang Yu
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Zhonghua Huang
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China E-mail:
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Ma H, Xia Y, Wang Z, Xu T, Simon GP, Wang H. Dual-Channel-Ion Conductor Membrane for Low-Energy Lithium Extraction. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:17246-17255. [PMID: 37918342 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The development of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly lithium extraction techniques is essential to meet the growing global demand for lithium-ion batteries. In this work, a dual-channel ion conductor membrane was designed for a concentration-driven lithium-selective ion diffusion process. The membrane was based on a porous lithium-ion conductor, and its pores were modified with an anion-exchange polymer. Thus, the sintered lithium-ion conductors provided highly selective cation transport channels, and the functionalized nanopores with positive charges enabled the complementary permeation of anions to balance the transmembrane charges. As a result, the dual-channel membrane realized an ultrahigh Li+/Na+ selectivity of ∼1389 with a competitive Li+ flux of 21.6 mmol·m-2·h-1 in a diffusion process of the LiCl/NaCl binary solution, which was capable of further maintaining the high selectivity over 7 days of testing. Therefore, this work demonstrates the great potential of the dual-channel membrane design for high-performing lithium extraction from aqueous resources with low energy consumption and minimal environmental impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Ma
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Yun Xia
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Zhouyou Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Tongwen Xu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - George P Simon
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Huanting Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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