Work

Solvent-assisted insertion of molecular supports for enhanced separation performance and stability of thin film composite reverse osmosis membranes

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study presents an innovative approach to enhance the separation performance and stability of thin-film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes through post-treatment by inserting 15-crown-5 (CE15) as molecular supports, assisted by methanol. By varying the CE15 concentration (0–4 wt%), the physicochemical properties of the membranes can be regulated with significantly improved separation performance. Comprehensive characterizations reveal that an optimal CE15 concentration of 1 wt% increases the water permeance by 148% (from 1.86 to 4.61 LMH bar−1) while maintaining a high salt rejection of 98.9%. Additionally, chelation of CE15 with Li+ or Na+ further enhances the membrane’s structural robustness, ensuring long-term stability. Over a 72-hour period, the treated membranes exhibit only a 3.4% reduction in water permeance, compared to a 15.8% decline observed for the untreated membranes. This facile post-treatment method offers a scalable and effective solution to improve the permeability, selectivity and durability of TFC membranes, presenting a promising advancement for desalination and water treatment applications.

Source: Journal of Membrane Science

DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2025.124005

Authors: Chia-Ming Chang, Qipeng Zhao, Shing Bor Chen

Institutions: National University of Singapore, Tongji University, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security

Language: English

Topic: Membrane Separation Technologies

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,890