Optimal cross-linking of MXene-based membranes for high rejection and low adsorption with long-term stability for water treatment
File(s)Supporting Information-Optimal Cross-Linking.docx (15.63 MB) Manuscript-Optimal Cross-Linking.docx (10.11 MB)
Supporting information
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The unique layered structure and abundant 2D nanochannels of MXene membranes have demonstrated outstanding permeability, indicating their great potential in the field of water treatment. However, their unstable interlayer spacing and irregular layer structure have limited their ability to separate small molecular pollutants effectively. In this study, we successfully prepared composite MXene membranes with high rejection and low adsorption properties by exploiting the differences in the surface functional groups and chain lengths of dopamine (DA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) through an optimal cross-linking approach. These composite membranes exhibited excellent stability in terms of interlayer spacing and mitigated the adverse effects of stacking defects. Compared to MXene membranes, the composite membranes achieved a 1.76-fold increase in dye rejection efficiency, reaching 98.7% at most, with an adsorption ratio of only 1.8%. Moreover, outstanding performances were also exhibited in pressure and concentration load tests. Furthermore, in the context of forward osmosis applications, the composite membranes demonstrated excellent Na+ rejection of 99.9%. More importantly, these membranes showed no performance deterioration throughout 50 filtration cycles, with only a slight increase in permeance of 19.3% over a 38-day testing period. Thus, this work presents a novel solution for fabricating MXene composite membranes with low swelling, minimal defects, and high stability, enhancing its potential in the field of water and wastewater treatment.
Date Issued
2024-05
Date Acceptance
2024-04-01
Citation
Journal of Membrane Science, 2024, 701
ISSN
0376-7388
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Membrane Science
Volume
701
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. This is the author’s accepted manuscript made available under a CC-BY licence in accordance with Imperial’s Research Publications Open Access policy (www.imperial.ac.uk/oa-policy)
License URL
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2024.122738
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
122738
Date Publish Online
2024-04-02