• Membrane Journal
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.375-383
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• 2013

Nanomaterials having large surface area, uniform dimensions or pores can be utilized in various membrane applications Amongst them, many studies have been focused on nanocarbon materials: graphene, graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes, one-dimensional structure, have excellent characteristics in thermal, chemical and mechanical strength properties. However, carbon nanotubes was mainly used to reinforce mechanical properties of polymer materials in previous applications. In contrast to previous studies, we focused on modified carbon nanotubes/polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) composite membrane preparation for improvement of permeability and selectivity on gas separation.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.411-426
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• 2022

Energy plays a significant role in modern lifestyle because of our extensive reliance over energy-operating devices. Therefore, there is a need for alternative and green energy resources that can fulfill the energy demand. For this, fuel cell (FCs) especially anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) have gained tremendous attention over the other (FCs) due to their fast reaction kinetics without using noble catalyst and allow to use of cheaper polymers with high performance. But lack of highly conductive, chemically, and mechanically stable anion exchange membrane (AEM) still main obstacle to the development of high performance AEMFCs. Therefore, graphene-based polymer composite membranes came into the existence as AEMs for the FCs. The exceptional properties of the graphene help to improve the performance of AEMs. Still, there are lot of challenges in the graphene derivatives based AEMs because of their high tendency of agglomeration in polymer matrix which reduced their potential. To overcome this issue surface modification of graphene derivatives is necessary to restrict their agglomeration and conserved their potential features that can help to improve the performance of AEM. Therefore, this review focus on the surface modification of graphene derivatives and their role in the fabrication of AEMs for the FCs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2021

With the advances in recent nanotechnology, mass transport phenomena have been receiving large attention both in academic researches and industrial applications. Nonetheless, it is not clearly determined which parameters are dominant at nanoscale mass transport. Especially, membrane is a kind of technology that use a selective separation to secure fresh water. The development of great separation membrane and membrane-based separation system is an important way to solve existing water resource problems. In this study, glass fiber-based membranes which are treated by graphene oxide (GO), poly-styrene sulfonate (GOP) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (GPS) were fabricated. Mass transport parameters were investigated in terms of material-specific and structure-specific dominance. The 3D structural information of GO, GOP, and GPS was obtained by using synchrotron X-ray nano tomography. In addition, electrostatic characteristic and water absorption rate of the membranes were investigated. As a result, we calculated internal structural information using Tomadakis-Sotrichos model, and we found that manipulation of surface characteristics can improve spacer arm effect, which means enhancement of water permeability by control length of ligand and surface charge functionality of the membrane.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2022

Direct exposure to toxic and hazardous gases has always been considered as the most pervasive problem worldwide, leading to a gradual increase in the number of asthma patients due to NO_x/SO_x gases inhaling and exposure to 50 ppm formaldehyde gases. Therefore, the development of accurate gas sensors is a key issue for resolving these problems. To address such issues, the development of membranes for selective filtering of target molecules as well as nanocatalyst for enhancing the sensing selectivity is highly crucial. In this review, the research progress for porous membrane materials (e.g. MOFs, and graphene) and nanocatalyst technology for the development of selective and accurate gas sensors will be discussed.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.293-306
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• 2020

Increasing harmful effects of climate change, such as its effect on water scarcity, has led to a focus on developing effective water purification methods to obtain pure water. Additionally, rising levels of water pollution is increasing levels of environmental degradation, calling for sources of water treatment to remove contaminants. To purify water, osmotic processes across a semipermeable membrane can take place, and recent studies are showing that incorporating nanoparticles, including carbon quantum dots (CQDs), graphene carbon dots (GQDs), and graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) are making thin film composite (TFC) membranes more effective by increasing water flux while maintaining similar levels of salt rejection, increasing the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface, showing bactericidal properties, exhibiting antifouling properties to prevent accumulation of bacteria or other microorganisms from reducing the effectiveness of the membrane, and more. In the review, the synthesis process, applications, functionality, properties, and the role of several types of quantum dots are discussed in the composite membrane for water purification.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2015

In this study the nanofiber was prepared by electrospinning method with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) and a completely dispersed solution of graphene oxide (GO) in the mixed solvent of dimethylformamide (DMF) and acetone. The $0.4{\mu}m$ pore size microfiltration flat membrane was made by increasing layers of the PVdF/GO composite nanofiber. Also, transmembrane pressure (TMP) was measured in order to evaluate fouling of the PVdF/GO composite membrane which was introduced GO reducing biological fouling with the intrinsic antibacterial characteristics. The permeate experiments were carried out simultaneously for the PVdF/GO and commercialized CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) flat membranes with $0.01m^2$ effective area in the activated sludge solution of MLSS 4,500 mg/L. TMP of PVdF/GO membrane decreased up to 79% lower than that of CPVC for $10L/m^2{\cdot}h$ permeate flux without air supply. Also, for the case of run/stop operational mode, TMP of PVdF/GO membrane decreased up to 69% lower than that of CPVC for $10L/m^2{\cdot}h$.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.233-242
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• 2018

To study gas membrane using GO (graphene oxide), the PEBAX [poly(ether-block-amide)]-GO polymer composite membrane was prepared by adding GO to PEBAX. Through this composite membrane, gas permeation characteristics for $H_2$, $N_2$, $CH_4$, and $CO_2$ were studied. As a result of the gas permeation test, the permeability of $N_2$, $CH_4$, and $CO_2$ to PEBAX-GO composite membranes gradually decreased as the GO content increased. On the other hand, the gas permeability of $H_2$ increased with the increase of GO content, and it was 21.43 barrer at the GO content of 30 wt%, which was about 5 times higher than that of PEBAX membrane. This is because the GO was easier to operate with a fast and selective gas transport channel for $H_2$ than other gases. The increased selectivity ($H_2/N_2$) and selectivity ($H_2/CH_4$) were influenced by the diffusion selectivity by the permeate gas size. The increased selectivity ($CO_2/N_2$) and selectivity ($CO_2/CH_4$) were more influenced by the solubility selectivity due to the affinity of $CO_2$ and GO for -COOH.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.213-227
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• 2020

As unrenewable energy resources have depleted over the years, the demand for renewable energy has increased promoting research for more effective methods to produce renewable energy. The field of fuel cell development, specifically microbial fuel cells (MFCs), has developed because of the dual performance potential of the technology. MFCs convert power by facilitating electrode-reducing organisms such as bacteria (microbes) as a catalyst to produce electrical energy. MFCs use domestic and industrial wastewater as fuel to initiate the process, purifying the wastewater as a result. Proton exchange membranes (PEM) play a crucial role in MFCs as a separator between the anodes and cathodes chambers allowing only protons to effectively pass through. Nafion is the commercially used PEM for MFCs, but there are many setbacks: such as cost, production time, and less effective proton conductivity properties. In this review there will be largely two parts. Firstly, several newly developed PEM are discussed as possible replacements of Nafion. Secondly, MFC based on PEM, blended PEM and composite PEM are summarized.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.486-495
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• 2022

This study presents the improved recovery efficiency of rare metal ions through the modified separation membrane wettability and hydrogen ion permeation in the anion exchange membrane (AEM) under the recovery process of combined electrodialysis and solvent extraction. Specifically, the wettability of the separator was enhanced by hydrophilic modification on one separator surface through polydopamine (PDA) and lipophilic modification on the other surface through SiO₂ or graphene oxide (GO). In addition, the modified surface of AEM with polyethyleneimine (PEI), PDA, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), etc. reduces the water uptake and modify the pore structure for proton ions generation. The suppressed transport resulted in the reduced hydrogen ion permeation. In the characterization, the surface morphology, chemical properties and composition of membrane or AEM were analyzed with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Based on the analyses, improved extraction and stripping and hydrogen ion transport inhibition were demonstrated for the copper ion recovery system.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2018

In this study, PTMSP-GO composite membranes were prepared by the addition of GO (graphene oxide) into PTMSP [poly (1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne)] having high gas permeability, to study of gaseous membrane using GO. Gas permeation properties for $N_2$, $CH_4$, $CO_2$ were investigated by increasing the amount of GO in the PTMSP. PTMSP-GO composite membranes had higher gas permeability in the order of $N_2$ < $CH_4$ < $CO_2$. The gas permeation tendency of $N_2$, $CH_4$, and $CO_2$ increased as the content of GO increased from 0 to 10 wt%, but the gas permeability decreased as increased from 10 to 30 wt%. In the range of low GO contents, the gas permeability decreased due to the decrease of diffusivity because GO acts as a barrier in the composite membrane, and the gas permeability increased due to the void at the interface above the content range. And $CO_2$ has an affinity with -COOH of GO, the selectivity ($CO_2/N_2$) and the selectivity ($CO_2/CH_4$) gradually increase with increasing GO content. And the selectivity($CO_2/N_2$) showed the highest selectivity at 10.6 for PTMSP-GO 10 wt% and the selectivity ($CO_2/CH_4$) showed the highest selectivity at 3.4 for PTMSP-GO 20 wt%. However, above a certain amount of GO, selectivity ($CO_2/N_2$) and selectivity ($CO_2/CH_4$) decreased because the coagulation phenomenon between GO was increased and the solubility effect of $CO_2$ decreased. The PTMSP-GO 20 wt% composite membrane exhibited enhanced gas permeation characteristics with increased $CO_2$ permeability and selectivity ($CO_2/CH_4$) over PTMSP membrane.