Conductive and stable polyphenylene/CNT composite membrane for electrically enhanced membrane fouling mitigation

doi:10.1007/s11783-024-1763-z

Front. Environ. Sci. Eng.

2024, Vol. 18

Issue (1) : 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-024-1763-z

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Conductive and stable polyphenylene/CNT composite membrane for electrically enhanced membrane fouling mitigation

Huijuan Xie, Haiguang Zhang, Xu Wang, Gaoliang Wei, Shuo Chen, Xie Quan(

)

Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China

Download: PDF(3596 KB) HTML
Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks

Abstract

● A conductive and stable polyphenylene/CNT membrane was fabricated.

● The conductivity of the membrane was 3.4 times higher than that of the CNT membrane.

● Structural stability of the membrane is superior to that of the CNT membrane.

● Electro-assistance can effectively enhance membrane fouling mitigation.

Nanocarbon-based conductive membranes, especially carbon nanotube (CNT)-based membranes, have tremendous potential for wastewater treatment and water purification because of their excellent water permeability and selectivity, as well as their electrochemically enhanced performance (e.g., improved antifouling ability). However, it remains challenging to prepare CNT membranes with high structural stability and high electrical conductivity. In this study, a highly electroconductive and structurally stable polyphenylene/CNT (PP/CNT) composite membrane was prepared by electropolymerizing biphenyl on a CNT hollow fiber membrane. The PP/CNT membrane showed 3.4 and 5.0 times higher electrical conductivity than pure CNT and poly(vinyl alcohol)/CNT (PVA/CNT) membranes, respectively. The structural stability of the membrane was superior to that of the pure CNT membrane and comparable to that of the PVA/CNT membrane. The membrane fouling was significantly alleviated under an electrical assistance of −2.0 V, with a flux loss of only 11.7% after 5 h filtration of humic acid, which is significantly lower than those of PP/CNT membranes without electro-assistance (56.8%) and commercial polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes (64.1%). Additionally, the rejection of negatively charged pollutants (humic acid and sodium alginate) was improved by the enhanced electrostatic repulsion. After four consecutive filtration-cleaning cycle tests, the flux recovery rate after backwashing reached 97.2%, which was much higher than those of electricity-free PP/CNT membranes (67.0%) and commercial PVDF membranes (61.1%). This study offers insights into the preparation of stable conductive membranes for membrane fouling control in potential water treatment applications.

Keywords Polyphenylene CNTs Membrane Electro-assistance Membrane fouling mitigation

Corresponding Author(s): Xie Quan

Issue Date: 09 August 2023

Cite this article:

Huijuan Xie,Haiguang Zhang,Xu Wang, et al. Conductive and stable polyphenylene/CNT composite membrane for electrically enhanced membrane fouling mitigation[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2024, 18(1): 3.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-024-1763-z
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2024/V18/I1/3

Fig.1 Scheme for the fabrication of PP/CNT membrane.

Fig.2 SEM images of the uncrosslinked CNT membrane of (a) surface, (b) magnified surface, and (c) cross section (inset: the low-magnification SEM image). SEM images of the crosslinked CNT membrane of (d) surface, (e) magnified surface, and (f) cross section (inset: the low-magnification SEM image).

Fig.3 FTIR spectrum (a) and XPS spectrum (b) of PP. XPS spectra (c) and Raman spectra (d) of the CNT and PP/CNT membranes.

Fig.4 Photographs of (a) before and (b) after ultrasound of 10 min (40 kHz, 120 W) of the CNT and PP/CNT membranes. Nano-scratch results of (c) the CNT and (d) the PP/CNT membranes. Both (c) and (d) have insets showing the SEM images of nano-scratch results. (e) Conductivities of the CNT, PP_x/CNT and PVA/CNT membranes. (f) Water contact angles of the CNT and PP_x/CNT membranes.

Fig.5 Average pore sizes (a) and pure water fluxes under operation pressure of 0.5 bar (b) of the CNT and PP_x/CNT membranes. Average pore sizes (c) and pure water fluxes under operation pressure of 0.5 bar (d) of the PP/CNT membrane, three commercial membranes and PVA/CNT membrane.

Fig.6 Normalized fluxes (a) and HA removal efficiency (b) of the PP/CNT membranes at different cell voltages (operation pressure of 0.2 bar). Normalized fluxes (c) and SA removal efficiency (d) of the PP/CNT membranes at different cell voltages (operation pressure of 0.2 bar). (e) Schematic diagram of the antifouling mechanism of the PP/CNT conductive membrane under electro-assistance.

Fig.7 SEM images of membrane fouling of the PP/CNT membranes after HA filtration at the voltages of (a) −2.0 V, (b) −1.0 V, (c) 0 V, (d) +1.0 V, and (e) +2.0 V.

Fig.8 (a) Flux variations of the PP/CNT membrane, PP/CNT membrane with −2.0 V, and CM₂ membrane when filtrating HA solution (operation pressure of 0.2 bar). (b) Flux recovery rates (FRR) of PP/CNT membrane, PP/CNT membrane with −2.0 V, and CM₂ membrane after hydraulic cleaning.

1	P J J Alvarez, C K Chan, M Elimelech, N J Halas, D Villagran. (2018). Emerging opportunities for nanotechnology to enhance water security. Nature Nanotechnology, 13(8): 634–641 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-018-0203-2
2	S Bergaoui, A H Saîd, S Roudesli, F Matoussi. (2006). Electrosynthesis and characterization of a poly(paraphenylene) deriving from p-fluoroanisole. Electrochimica Acta, 51(20): 4309–4315 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2005.12.031
3	S Bolisetty, M Peydayesh, R Mezzenga. (2019). Sustainable technologies for water purification from heavy metals: review and analysis. Chemical Society Reviews, 48(2): 463–487 https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CS00493E
4	C Castiglioni, M Gussoni, J T Lopez Navarrete, G Zerbi (1988). FTIR spectra (frequency and intensity) of poly-(para-phenylenes). Mikrochimica Acta, 1(1–6): 247–249 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205881
5	H Chang, H Liang, F Qu, S Shao, H Yu, B Liu, W Gao, G Li. (2016). Role of backwash water composition in alleviating ultrafiltration membrane fouling by sodium alginate and the effectiveness of salt backwashing. Journal of Membrane Science, 499: 429–441 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2015.10.062
6	W Chen, C H Liang, Y Yie, B Wu. (2008). AC impedance studies on the relationship between the fractal characteristics and electrochemical properties of poly(para-phenylene) film. Journal of the Chinese Chemical Society, 55(4): 801–806 https://doi.org/10.1002/jccs.200800120
7	P Choeichom, A Sirivat. (2018). Tuning poly(p-phenylene) nano-size for enhancing electrical conductivity based on surfactant templates and doping. Current Applied Physics, 18(6): 686–697 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cap.2018.01.015
8	W Duan, A Ronen, S Walker, D Jassby. (2016). Polyaniline-coated carbon nanotube ultrafiltration membranes: enhanced anodic stability for in situ cleaning and electro-oxidation processes. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 8(34): 22574–22584 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6b07196
9	X Fan, G Wei, X Quan. (2023). Carbon nanomaterial-based membranes for water and wastewater treatment under electrochemical assistance. Environmental Science. Nano, 10(1): 11–40 https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EN00545J
10	I Golovtsov (2005). Modification of Conductive Properties and Processability of Polyparaphenylene, Polypyrrole and Polyaniline. Tallinn: Tallinn University of Technology Press
11	M A Halali, C F de Lannoy. (2019). The effect of cross-linkers on the permeability of electrically conductive membranes. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 58(9): 3832–3844 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.8b05691
12	J K Holt, H G Park, Y Wang, M Stadermann, A B Artyukhin, C P Grigoropoulos, A Noy, O Bakajin. (2006). Fast mass transport through sub-2-nanometer carbon nanotubes. Science, 312(5776): 1034–1037 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1126298
13	X Hu, S You, F Li, Y Liu. (2022). Recent advances in antimony removal using carbon-based nanomaterials: a review. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 16(4): 48 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-021-1482-7
14	N K Khanzada, M U Farid, J A Kharraz, J Choi, C Y Tang, L D Nghiem, A Jang, A K An. (2020). Removal of organic micropollutants using advanced membrane-based water and wastewater treatment: a review. Journal of Membrane Science, 598: 117672 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2019.117672
15	W Kong, X Ge, M Yang, Q Zhang, J Lu, H Wen, H Wen, D Kong, M Zhang, X Zhu. et al.. (2023). Poly-p-phenylene as a novel pseudocapacitive anode or cathode material for hybrid capacitive deionization. Desalination, 553: 116452 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2023.116452
16	W J Koros, C Zhang. (2017). Materials for next-generation molecularly selective synthetic membranes. Nature Materials, 16(3): 289–297 https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4805
17	C Kvarnström, R Bilger, A Ivaska, J Heinze (1998). An electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance study on polymerization of oligo-p-phenylenes. Electrochimica Acta, 43(3–4): 355–366 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-4686(97)00069-8
18	C Li, M Liu, N G Pschirer, M Baumgarten, K Müllen. (2010). Polyphenylene-based materials for organic photovoltaics. Chemical Reviews, 110(11): 6817–6855 https://doi.org/10.1021/cr100052z
19	P Li, C Yang, F Sun, X Y Li. (2021). Fabrication of conductive ceramic membranes for electrically assisted fouling control during membrane filtration for wastewater treatment. Chemosphere, 280: 130794 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130794
20	X Liu, C Tian, Y Zhao, W Xu, D Dong, K Shih, T Yan, W Song. (2022). Enhanced cross-flow filtration with flat-sheet ceramic membranes by titanium-based coagulation for membrane fouling control. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 16(8): 110 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-020-1355-5
21	Y Liu, G Gao, C D Vecitis. (2020). Prospects of an electroactive carbon nanotube membrane toward environmental applications. Accounts of Chemical Research, 53(12): 2892–2902 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00544
22	M Majumder, N Chopra, R Andrews, B J Hinds. (2005). Enhanced flow in carbon nanotubes. Nature, 438(7064): 44 https://doi.org/10.1038/438044a
23	J G Martínez-Colunga, S Sanchez-Valdes, L F Ramos-Devalle, O Perez-Camacho, E Ramirez-Vargas, R Benavides-Cantú, C A Avila-Orta, V J Cruz-Delgado, J M Mata-Padilla, T Lozano-Ramírez. et al.. (2018). Aniline-modified polypropylene as a compatibilizer in polypropylene carbon nanotube composites. Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering, 57(13): 1360–1366 https://doi.org/10.1080/03602559.2017.1381251
24	J J Patil, A Jana, B A Getachew, D S Bergsman, Z Gariepy, B D Smith, Z Lu, J C Grossman. (2021). Conductive carbonaceous membranes: recent progress and future opportunities. Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 9(6): 3270–3289 https://doi.org/10.1039/D0TA08928A
25	K Sears, L Dumée, J Schütz, M She, C Huynh, S Hawkins, M Duke, S Gray. (2010). Recent developments in carbon nanotube membranes for water purification and gas separation. Materials (Basel), 3(1): 127–149 https://doi.org/10.3390/ma3010127
26	R Sedev. (2011). Electrowetting: electrocapillarity, saturation, and dynamics. European Physical Journal. Special Topics, 197(1): 307–319 https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2011-01473-4
27	F Soyekwo, Q Zhang, L Zhen, L Ning, A Zhu, Q Liu. (2018). Borate crosslinking of polydopamine grafted carbon nanotubes membranes for protein separation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 337: 110–121 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2017.12.079
28	M Sun, X Wang, L R Winter, Y Zhao, W Ma, T Hedtke, J H Kim, M Elimelech. (2021). Electrified membranes for water treatment applications. ACS ES&T Engineering, 1(4): 725–752 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.1c00015
29	P D Sutrisna, K A Kurnia, U W R Siagian, S Ismadji, I G Wenten. (2022). Membrane fouling and fouling mitigation in oil–water separation: a review. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 10(3): 107532 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2022.107532
30	X Tan, C Hu, Z Zhu, H Liu, J Qu. (2019). Electrically pore-size-tunable polypyrrole membrane for antifouling and selective separation. Advanced Functional Materials, 29(35): 1903081 https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201903081
31	H Uematsu, K Yoshida, A Yamaguchi, A Fukushima, S Sugihara, M Yamane, Y Ozaki, S Tanoue. (2023). Enhancement of interfacial shear strength due to cooperative π−π interaction between polyphenylene sulfide and carbon fiber and molecular orientation of polyphenylene sulfide via the π−π interaction. Composites. Part A, Applied Science and Manufacturing, 165: 107355 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2022.107355
32	G Wei, S Chen, X Fan, X Quan, H Yu. (2015). Carbon nanotube hollow fiber membranes: high-throughput fabrication, structural control and electrochemically improved selectivity. Journal of Membrane Science, 493: 97–105 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2015.05.073
33	G Wei, H Yu, X Quan, S Chen, H Zhao, X Fan. (2014). Constructing all carbon nanotube hollow fiber membranes with improved performance in separation and antifouling for water treatment. Environmental Science & Technology, 48(14): 8062–8068 https://doi.org/10.1021/es500506w
34	S Wei, L Du, S Chen, H Yu, X Quan. (2020). Electro-assisted CNTs/ceramic flat sheet ultrafiltration membrane for enhanced antifouling and separation performance. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 15: 1–11
35	R Zhang, Y Liu, M He, Y Su, X Zhao, M Elimelech, Z Jiang. (2016). Antifouling membranes for sustainable water purification: strategies and mechanisms. Chemical Society Reviews, 45(21): 5888–5924 https://doi.org/10.1039/C5CS00579E
36	C Zhao, T Song, Y Yu, L Qu, J Cheng, W Zhu, Q Wang, P Li, W Tang. (2020). Insight into the influence of humic acid and sodium alginate fractions on membrane fouling in coagulation-ultrafiltration combined system. Environmental Research, 191: 110228 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110228
37	Y Zhao, M Sun, L R Winter, S Lin, Z Wang, J C Crittenden, J Ma. (2022). Emerging challenges and opportunities for electrified membranes to enhance water treatment. Environmental Science & Technology, 56(7): 3832–3835 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c08725
38	W Zhou, C Wang, J Xu, Y Du, P Yang (2010). Enhanced electrocatalytic performance for isopropanol oxidation on Pd–Au nanoparticles dispersed on poly(p-phenylene) prepared from biphenyl. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 123(2–3): 390–395 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2010.04.027
39	X Zhu, D Jassby. (2019). Electroactive membranes for water treatment: enhanced treatment functionalities, energy considerations, and future challenges. Accounts of Chemical Research, 52(5): 1177–1186 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00558

[1]

FSE-23062-OF-XHJ_suppl_1

Download

[1]	Hankun Yang, Yujuan Li, Hongyu Liu, Nigel J. D. Graham, Xue Wu, Jiawei Hou, Mengjie Liu, Wenyu Wang, Wenzheng Yu. The variation of DOM during long distance water transport by the China South to North Water Diversion Scheme and impact on drinking water treatment[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2024, 18(5): 59-.
[2]	Shuting Zhuang, Jianlong Wang. Cesium removal from radioactive wastewater by adsorption and membrane technology[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2024, 18(3): 38-.
[3]	Yang Yu, Changchun Xin, Yuxiang Liu, Fei Gao, Lei Zhang, Hui Jia, Jie Wang. Portable fluorescence instrument for detecting membrane integrity in membrane bioreactor (MBR)[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2024, 18(2): 23-.
[4]	Huan Xi, Fanlu Min, Zhanhu Yao, Jianfeng Zhang. Facile fabrication of dolomite-doped biochar/bentonite for effective removal of phosphate from complex wastewaters[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(6): 71-.
[5]	Qian Li, Zhaoyang Hou, Xingyuan Huang, Shuming Yang, Jinfan Zhang, Jingwei Fu, Yu-You Li, Rong Chen. Methanation and chemolitrophic nitrogen removal by an anaerobic membrane bioreactor coupled partial nitrification and Anammox[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(6): 68-.
[6]	Haiguang Zhang, Lei Du, Jiajian Xing, Gaoliang Wei, Xie Quan. Electro-conductive crosslinked polyaniline/carbon nanotube nanofiltration membrane for electro-enhanced removal of bisphenol A[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(5): 59-.
[7]	Jie Liu, Junjun Ma, Weizhang Zhong, Jianrui Niu, Zaixing Li, Xiaoju Wang, Ge Shen, Chun Liu. Penicillin fermentation residue biochar as a high-performance electrode for membrane capacitive deionization[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(4): 51-.
[8]	Zhijun Liu, Xi Luo, Senlin Shao, Xue Xia. Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate using Pd-Cu modified carbon nanotube membranes[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(4): 40-.
[9]	Shuang Zhang, Shuai Liang, Yifan Gao, Yang Wu, Xia Huang. Nonpolar cross-stacked super-aligned carbon nanotube membrane for efficient wastewater treatment[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(3): 30-.
[10]	Hanqing Fan, Yuxuan Huang, Ngai Yin Yip. Advancing ion-exchange membranes to ion-selective membranes: principles, status, and opportunities[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(2): 25-.
[11]	Mourin Jarin, Zeou Dou, Haiping Gao, Yongsheng Chen, Xing Xie. Salinity exchange between seawater/brackish water and domestic wastewater through electrodialysis for potable water[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(2): 16-.
[12]	Jiaheng Teng, Ying Deng, Xiaoni Zhou, Wenfa Yang, Zhengyi Huang, Hanmin Zhang, Meijia Zhang, Hongjun Lin. A critical review on thermodynamic mechanisms of membrane fouling in membrane-based water treatment process[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(10): 129-.
[13]	Cheng Cai, Wenjun Sun, Siyuan He, Yuanna Zhang, Xuelin Wang. Ceramic membrane fouling mechanisms and control for water treatment[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(10): 126-.
[14]	Aihua Zhang, Shihao Fang, Huan Xi, Jianke Huang, Yongfu Li, Guangyuan Ma, Jianfeng Zhang. Highly efficient and selective removal of phosphate from wastewater of sea cucumber aquaculture for microalgae culture using a new adsorption-membrane separation-coordinated strategy[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(10): 120-.
[15]	Xiaoying Wang, Haiguang Zhang, Xu Wang, Shuo Chen, Hongtao Yu, Xie Quan. Electroconductive RGO-MXene membranes with wettability-regulated channels: improved water permeability and electro-enhanced rejection performance[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(1): 1-.

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Shared

Discussed