• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.2657-2662
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• 2013

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-g-poly (aniline-co-2,5-diaminobenzenesulfonic acid) (DABSA) reinforced Nafion$^{(R)}$ nanocomposite membranes were prepared and characterized for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The nanocomposite membranes with approximately $90{\mu}m$ thickness were prepared by the water assisted solution casting method. To evaluate the properties of nanocomposite membranes for DMFC applications, the nanocomposite membranes were characterized by methanol and water uptake, thermal stability, and ion exchange capacity (IEC). Furthermore, oxidative stability measurements in terms of the hydrogen peroxide decomposition rate that represent the oxidative stability of the membranes were examined. The methanol uptake values of the nanocomposite membranes were dramatically decreased compared to the cast Nafion$^{(R)}$ membranes. The IEC values of the nanocomposite membranes were increased about 30% compared to the cast Nafion$^{(R)}$ membrane.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.373-379
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• 2021

A series of novel PBI/SrTiO₃ nanocomposite membranes composed of polybenzimidazole (PBI) and strontium titanate (SrTiO₃) with a perovskite structure were fabricated with various concentrations of SrTiO₃ through a solution casting method. Various characterization techniques such as proton nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetric analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and AC impedance spectroscopy were used to investigate the chemical structure, thermal, phosphate absorption and morphological properties, and proton conductivity of the fabricated nanocomposite membranes. The optimized PBI/SrTiO₃-8 polymer nanocomposite membrane containing 8wt% of SrTiO₃ showed a higher proton conductivity of 7.95 × 10^-2 S/cm at 160℃ compared to other nanocomposite membranes. The PBI/SrTiO₃-8 composite membrane also showed higher thermal stability compared to pristine PBI. In addition, the roughness change of the polymer composite membrane was also investigated by AFM. Based on these results, nanocomposite membranes based on perovskite structures are expected to be considered as potential candidates for high-temperature PEM fuel cell applications.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.351-364
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• 2016

In recent decades, many researchers have tried to improve desalination performances of polyamide (PA) thin-film composite membranes (TFCs) by incorporating nanomaterials into a selective PA layer. This review focuses on PA-based nanocomposite membranes with high performances for energy-effective desalination in reverse osmosis. Carbon based nanomaterial (e.g., graphene oxide (GO), carbon nanotubes (CNT)) and/or other nanoparticles (e.g., zeolite, silica and etc.,) were applied to overcome the trade-off correlation between water permeability and salt rejection of current polymeric desalination membranes. Here, this brief review will discuss current studies of PA-based nanocomposite membranes with enhanced separation characteristics and provide the future research direction to achieve further improved desalination performances.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.290-296
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• 2010

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA-28)/Co-Al LDH nanocomposite membranes were prepared by solution intercalation using organically modified LDH. LDH was made organophilic by the intercalation of dodecyl sulfate (DS) anion in the interlayer. The prepared membranes were characterized using XRD, FT-IR and SEM. Gas permeability of EVA/LDH nanocomposite membranes with LDH content of 1, 3, and 5 w% was studied for $O_2$ and $CO_2$ at pressure of 3, 4, and 5 bar. The permeability of $O_2$ and $CO_2$ was minimum for nanocomposite membrane with 1 wt% LDH and increased with increasing LDH content, which is presumably due to aggregation of LDH filler. The selectivity of $CO_2$ for $O_2$ showed the maximum value at 1 wt% of LDH content and decreased thereafter.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.309-321
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• 2015

We report in this study the synthesis of mixed matrix reverse osmosis membranes by interfacial polymerization (IP) of thin film nanocomposite (TFNC) on porous polysulfone supports (PS). This paper investigates the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) using the sol-gel processing technique and evaluates the performance of mixed matrix membranes reached by these aerogel NPs. Aqueous m-phenyl diamine (MPD) and organic trimesoyl chloride (TMC)-NPs mixture solutions were used in the IP process. The reaction of MPD and TMC at the interface of PS substrates resulted in the formation of the thin film composite (TFC). NPs of ZnO with a size of about 25 nm were used for the fabrication of the TFNC membranes. These membranes were characterized and evaluated in comparison with neat TFC ones. Their performances were evaluated based on the water permeability and salt rejection. Experimental results indicated that the NPs improved membrane performance under optimal concentration of NPs. By changing the content of the filler, better hydrophilicity was obtained; the contact angle was decreased from $74^{\circ}$ to $32^{\circ}$. Also, the permeate water flux was increased from 26 to 49 L/m2.h when the content of NPs is 0.1 (wt.%) with the maintaining of lower salt passage of 1%.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2005

New fast proton-conducting organic-inorganic nanocomposite membranes were successfully fabricated using polymer matrix obtained through proper oxidation of thiol ligands in (3-Mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTS) and hydrolysis/condensation reaction of (3-glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (GPTS). The obtained nanocomposite membranes showed relatively hirh proton-conductivity over $10^{-2}S/cm$ at $ 25^{circ}C$. The proton conductivities of the fabricated composite membranes increased up to $3.6{\times}10^{-1}$ S/cm cm by increasing temperature and relative humidity to $70^{circ}C$ and 100 $100RH\%$. The high proton conductivity of the composites Is due to the proton conducting path through the GPTS-derived 'pseudo-polyethylene oxide 'network in which sulfonic acid ligands work as a proton donor.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2013

The effect of layered double hydroxides (LDH) on the gas separation properties of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer was investigated. Mg-Al LDH/EVA nanocomposite membranes were prepared from solution intercalation using organically modified LDH (DS-LDH). Dodecyl sulfate (DS)-LDH was obtained by the intercalation of DS anion in the interlayer. The nanocomposite structure has been elucidated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD pattern clearly shows that the DS-LDH layers are disorderly well dispersed in the EVA matrix. The maximum tensile strength and elongation of the LDH/EVA nanocomposite membrane were found with the LDH content 3 wt%. The thermal properties of nanocompostie membrane were enhanced by the incorporation of LDH in EVA matrix. Gas permeation of LDH/EVA nanocomposite membranes with LDH contents of 1, 3, 5 wt% was studied for $O_2$ and $CO_2$ single gases. The presence of 3 wt% LDH decreased $O_2$ permeability by up to 53% compared to the EVA membrane. In spite of barrier property of nanocomposite membrane, however, the gas permeability for $CO_2$ was increased due to its strong affinity with the residual OH groups on the LDH.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2018

Forward osmosis (FO) desalination system has been highlighted to improve the energy efficiency and drive down the carbon footprint of current reverse osmosis (RO) desalination technology. To improve the trade-off between water flux and salt rejection of thin film composite (TFC) desalination membrane, thin film nanocomposite membranes (TFN), in which nanomaterials as a filler are embeded within a polymeric matrix, are being explored to tailor the separation performance and add new functionality to membranes for water purification applications. The objective of this article is to develop a graphene nanocomposite membrane with high performance of water selective permeability (high water flux, high salt rejection, and low reverse solute diffusion) as a next-generation FO desalination membrane. For advances in fabrication of graphene oxide (GO) membranes, layer-by-layer (LBL) technique was used to control the desirable structure, alignment, and chemical functionality that can lead to ultrahigh-permeability membranes due to highly selective transport of water molecules. In this study, the GO nanocomposite membrane fabricated by LBL dip coating method showed high water flux ($J_w/{\Delta}{\pi}=2.51LMH/bar$), water selectivity ($J_w/J_s=8.3L/g$), and salt rejection (99.5%) as well as high stability in aqueous solution and under FO operation condition.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.173-178
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• 2016

In this short review, the polymer electrolyte membranes consisting of polymer and Ag salts were introduced and various approaches to solve the long-term stability were summarized. In particular, utilizing $AgNO_3$ as carriers with ionic liquid, the replacement of polymer matrix as poly(ethylene phthalate) (PEP) for strong coordinative interactions with Ag ions and the introduction of $Al(NO_3)_3$ to $polymer/AgBF_4$ complexes were introduced for long-term stable facilitated olefin transport membranes. For the polymer nanocomposite membranes, the role of electron acceptors as polarizer on the surface of AgNPs and the approach to solve the low permeance were introduced.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.432-448
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• 2016

In the last decade, various types of energy harvesting and conversion systems based on ion exchange membranes (IEMs) have been developed for eco-friendly power generation and energy-grid systems. In these membrane-based energy systems, high ion selectivity and conductivity properties of IEMs are critical parameters to improve efficiency of the systems such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells, anion exchange membrane fuel cells, redox flow batteries, water electrodialysis for hydrogen production, and reverse electrodialysis. This article suggests variable approaches to overcome trade-off limitation of polymeric membrane ion transport properties by reviewing various types of composite ion-exchange membranes including novel inorganic-organic nanocomposite membrane, surface modified membranes, cross-linked and pore-filled membranes.