TY - JOUR
T1 - Development and Performance Characterization of a Polyimine Covalent Organic Framework Thin-Film Composite Nanofiltration Membrane
AU - Valentino, Lauren
AU - Matsumoto, Michio
AU - Dichtel, William R.
AU - Marinas, Benito J.
N1 - Funding Information:
RBS and XRD analyses were carried out in the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory Central Facilities at the University of Illinois. SEM and TEM analyses were performed at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois. We thank Mauro Sardela and Scott Robinson for assistance with XRD and SEM/TEM, respectively. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1706219 and the Army Research Office through the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI, W911NF-15-1-0447, to W.R.D.). The opinions of this paper do not necessarily reflect those of the sponsors.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Chemical Society.
PY - 2017/12/19
Y1 - 2017/12/19
N2 - Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) were used to create the first asymmetric, thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membrane with a COF active layer. NF membrane active layers of polyimine COF were synthesized via the interfacial polymerization (IP) of terephthalaldehyde and tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene monomers on top of a poly(ether sulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration membrane support. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses confirmed the presence of an imine-linked film with a thickness of ∼10 nm that was formed reproducibly. The rejection efficiencies of the COF NF membrane for a model organic compound, Rhodamine-WT, and a background electrolyte, NaCl, were higher than those of the PES support without the COF film. This enhanced solute rejection is the first successful demonstration of a TFC membrane with a thin COF active layer. However, this work also demonstrates the need for COF NF membranes with smaller active layer pores and alternative support materials. The former should result in greater solute rejection, and the latter is key because the PES used for support in the COF membranes is incompatible with the organic solvents used for the COF IP process.
AB - Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) were used to create the first asymmetric, thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membrane with a COF active layer. NF membrane active layers of polyimine COF were synthesized via the interfacial polymerization (IP) of terephthalaldehyde and tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene monomers on top of a poly(ether sulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration membrane support. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses confirmed the presence of an imine-linked film with a thickness of ∼10 nm that was formed reproducibly. The rejection efficiencies of the COF NF membrane for a model organic compound, Rhodamine-WT, and a background electrolyte, NaCl, were higher than those of the PES support without the COF film. This enhanced solute rejection is the first successful demonstration of a TFC membrane with a thin COF active layer. However, this work also demonstrates the need for COF NF membranes with smaller active layer pores and alternative support materials. The former should result in greater solute rejection, and the latter is key because the PES used for support in the COF membranes is incompatible with the organic solvents used for the COF IP process.
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U2 - 10.1021/acs.est.7b04056
DO - 10.1021/acs.est.7b04056
M3 - Article
C2 - 29156131
AN - SCOPUS:85038821910
VL - 51
SP - 14352
EP - 14359
JO - Environmental Science & Technology
JF - Environmental Science & Technology
SN - 0013-936X
IS - 24
ER -