A PDA@ZIF-8-Incorporated PMIA TFN-FO Membrane for Seawater Desalination: Improving Water Flux and Anti-Fouling Performance
Yu Ma,
Rui Jia,
Zhen-Liang Xu,
Aida Aibulatova,
Xiao-Gang Jin,
Yin-Xin Fang,
Ming-Xiao Zhang,
Sun-Jie Xu
Affiliations
Yu Ma
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Membrane Science and Engineering R&D Lab, Chemical Engineering Research Center, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
Rui Jia
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Membrane Science and Engineering R&D Lab, Chemical Engineering Research Center, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
Zhen-Liang Xu
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Membrane Science and Engineering R&D Lab, Chemical Engineering Research Center, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
Aida Aibulatova
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Membrane Science and Engineering R&D Lab, Chemical Engineering Research Center, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
Xiao-Gang Jin
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Membrane Science and Engineering R&D Lab, Chemical Engineering Research Center, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
Yin-Xin Fang
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Membrane Science and Engineering R&D Lab, Chemical Engineering Research Center, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
Ming-Xiao Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Membrane Science and Engineering R&D Lab, Chemical Engineering Research Center, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
Sun-Jie Xu
Shanghai Electronic Chemicals Innovation Institute, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
Forward osmosis (FO) technology, known for its minimal energy requirements, excellent resistance to fouling, and significant commercial potential, shows enormous promise in the development of sustainable technologies, especially with regard to seawater desalination and wastewater. In this study, we improved the performance of the FO membrane in terms of its mechanical strength and hydrophilic properties. Generally, the water flux (Jw) of polyisophenylbenzamide (PMIA) thin-film composite (TFC)-FO membranes is still inadequate for industrial applications. Here, hydrophilic polydopamine (PDA)@ zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 (ZIF-8) nanomaterials and their integration into PMIA membranes using the interfacial polymerization (IP) method were investigated. The impact of PDA@ZIF-8 on membrane performance in both pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) and forward osmosis (FO) modes was analyzed. The durability and fouling resistance of these membranes were evaluated over the long term. When the amount of ZIF-8@PDA incorporated in the membrane reached 0.05 wt% in the aqueous phase in the IP reaction, the Jw values for the PRO mode and FO mode were 12.09 LMH and 11.10 LMH, respectively. The reverse salt flux (Js)/Jw values for both modes decreased from 0.75 and 0.80 to 0.33 and 0.35, respectively. At the same time, the PRO and FO modes’ properties were stable in a 15 h test. The incorporation of PDA@ZIF-8 facilitated the formation of water channels within the nanoparticle pores. Furthermore, the Js/Jw ratio decreased significantly, and the FO membranes containing PDA@ZIF-8 exhibited high flux recovery rates and superior resistance to membrane fouling. Therefore, PDA@ZIF-8-modified FO membranes have the potential for use in industrial applications in seawater desalination.
