Neutron Reflectivity and Performance of Polyamide Nanofilms for Water Desalination

Fabrizia Foglia; Santanu Karan; Manuela Nania; Zhiwei Jiang; Alexandra E. Porter; Robert Barker; Andrew G. Livingston; João T. Cabral

doi:10.1002/adfm.201701738

Neutron Reflectivity and Performance of Polyamide Nanofilms for Water Desalination

Fabrizia Foglia, Santanu Karan, Manuela Nania, Zhiwei Jiang, Alexandra E. Porter, Robert Barker, Andrew G. Livingston, João T. Cabral (Lead / Corresponding author)

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

45 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The structure and hydration of polyamide (PA) membranes are investigated with a combination of neutron and X-ray reflectivity, and their performance is benchmarked in reverse osmosis water desalination. PA membranes are synthesized by the interfacial polymerization of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC), varying systematically reaction time, concentration, and stoichiometry, to yield large-area exceptionally planar films of ≈10 nm thickness. Reflectivity is employed to precisely determine membrane thickness and roughness, as well as the (TMC/MPD) concentration profile, and response to hydration in the vapor phase. PA film thickness is found to increase linearly with reaction time, albeit with a nonzero intercept, and the composition cross-sectional profile is found to be uniform, at the conditions investigated. Vapor hydration with H₂O and D₂O from 0 to 100% relative humidity results in considerable swelling (up to 20%), but also yields uniform cross-sectional profiles. The resulting film thickness is found to be predominantly set by the MPD concentration, while TMC regulates water uptake. A favorable correlation is found between higher swelling and water uptake with permeance. The data provide quantitative insight into the film formation mechanisms and correlate reaction conditions, cross-sectional nanostructure, and performance of the PA active layer in RO membranes for desalination.

Original language	English
Article number	1701738
Pages (from-to)	1-10
Number of pages	10
Journal	Advanced Functional Materials
Volume	27
Issue number	37
Early online date	4 Oct 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201701738
Publication status	Published - 5 Oct 2017

Keywords

neutron reflectivity
polyamide active layers
reverse osmosis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Biomaterials
Condensed Matter Physics
Electrochemistry

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title = "Neutron Reflectivity and Performance of Polyamide Nanofilms for Water Desalination",

abstract = "The structure and hydration of polyamide (PA) membranes are investigated with a combination of neutron and X-ray reflectivity, and their performance is benchmarked in reverse osmosis water desalination. PA membranes are synthesized by the interfacial polymerization of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC), varying systematically reaction time, concentration, and stoichiometry, to yield large-area exceptionally planar films of ≈10 nm thickness. Reflectivity is employed to precisely determine membrane thickness and roughness, as well as the (TMC/MPD) concentration profile, and response to hydration in the vapor phase. PA film thickness is found to increase linearly with reaction time, albeit with a nonzero intercept, and the composition cross-sectional profile is found to be uniform, at the conditions investigated. Vapor hydration with H2O and D2O from 0 to 100% relative humidity results in considerable swelling (up to 20%), but also yields uniform cross-sectional profiles. The resulting film thickness is found to be predominantly set by the MPD concentration, while TMC regulates water uptake. A favorable correlation is found between higher swelling and water uptake with permeance. The data provide quantitative insight into the film formation mechanisms and correlate reaction conditions, cross-sectional nanostructure, and performance of the PA active layer in RO membranes for desalination.",

keywords = "neutron reflectivity, polyamide active layers, reverse osmosis",

author = "Fabrizia Foglia and Santanu Karan and Manuela Nania and Zhiwei Jiang and Porter, {Alexandra E.} and Robert Barker and Livingston, {Andrew G.} and Cabral, {Jo{\~a}o T.}",

note = "The authors acknowledge BP International Centre for Advanced Materials (BP-ICAM) for ﬁnancial support",

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T1 - Neutron Reflectivity and Performance of Polyamide Nanofilms for Water Desalination

AU - Foglia, Fabrizia

AU - Karan, Santanu

AU - Nania, Manuela

AU - Jiang, Zhiwei

AU - Porter, Alexandra E.

AU - Barker, Robert

AU - Livingston, Andrew G.

AU - Cabral, João T.

N1 - The authors acknowledge BP International Centre for Advanced Materials (BP-ICAM) for ﬁnancial support

PY - 2017/10/5

Y1 - 2017/10/5

N2 - The structure and hydration of polyamide (PA) membranes are investigated with a combination of neutron and X-ray reflectivity, and their performance is benchmarked in reverse osmosis water desalination. PA membranes are synthesized by the interfacial polymerization of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC), varying systematically reaction time, concentration, and stoichiometry, to yield large-area exceptionally planar films of ≈10 nm thickness. Reflectivity is employed to precisely determine membrane thickness and roughness, as well as the (TMC/MPD) concentration profile, and response to hydration in the vapor phase. PA film thickness is found to increase linearly with reaction time, albeit with a nonzero intercept, and the composition cross-sectional profile is found to be uniform, at the conditions investigated. Vapor hydration with H2O and D2O from 0 to 100% relative humidity results in considerable swelling (up to 20%), but also yields uniform cross-sectional profiles. The resulting film thickness is found to be predominantly set by the MPD concentration, while TMC regulates water uptake. A favorable correlation is found between higher swelling and water uptake with permeance. The data provide quantitative insight into the film formation mechanisms and correlate reaction conditions, cross-sectional nanostructure, and performance of the PA active layer in RO membranes for desalination.

AB - The structure and hydration of polyamide (PA) membranes are investigated with a combination of neutron and X-ray reflectivity, and their performance is benchmarked in reverse osmosis water desalination. PA membranes are synthesized by the interfacial polymerization of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC), varying systematically reaction time, concentration, and stoichiometry, to yield large-area exceptionally planar films of ≈10 nm thickness. Reflectivity is employed to precisely determine membrane thickness and roughness, as well as the (TMC/MPD) concentration profile, and response to hydration in the vapor phase. PA film thickness is found to increase linearly with reaction time, albeit with a nonzero intercept, and the composition cross-sectional profile is found to be uniform, at the conditions investigated. Vapor hydration with H2O and D2O from 0 to 100% relative humidity results in considerable swelling (up to 20%), but also yields uniform cross-sectional profiles. The resulting film thickness is found to be predominantly set by the MPD concentration, while TMC regulates water uptake. A favorable correlation is found between higher swelling and water uptake with permeance. The data provide quantitative insight into the film formation mechanisms and correlate reaction conditions, cross-sectional nanostructure, and performance of the PA active layer in RO membranes for desalination.

KW - neutron reflectivity

KW - polyamide active layers

KW - reverse osmosis

U2 - 10.1002/adfm.201701738

DO - 10.1002/adfm.201701738

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85030307883

SN - 1616-301X

VL - 27

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EP - 10

JO - Advanced Functional Materials

JF - Advanced Functional Materials

IS - 37

M1 - 1701738

ER -

Neutron Reflectivity and Performance of Polyamide Nanofilms for Water Desalination

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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