(643g) Intrinsically Porous, Chemically Tunable, and Mixed Matrix 3D Printed Membranes for Targeted Purification

In the coming decades, the increasing and continued demand for low energy, cost effective separation of elemental lithium and Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) for a net-zero emissions economy remain a challenge. One critical aspect of this challenge is ensuring that the burgeoning demand for lithium in energy storage requires facile, scalable, and low cycle time processes of lithium extraction. Another critical aspect of this challenge is efficient separation of hydrogen rich and depleted LOHC fuels for on-demand catalytic generation of hydrogen for combustion.

Here, we will discuss our developed separation strategies to address these opportunities. In the process of lithium extraction, we will discuss our work of UV-curing thiolene polymers featuring intrinsically porous macromolecules of pillararenes. By facile re-functionalization of these moieties prior to UV-cured thiolene network formation, these materials enable selective transport of ions without the requirement of high-crystallinity, thus further enhancing their capability for scale-up and roll-to-roll processing. Secondly, in the process of LOHC fuel purification, we will discuss our work into the creation of 3-d printable Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMM). These composites utilize the selective transport of Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF) consisting of Zn4O Cubane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (1,4-H2cdc) CUB-5 and its counterparts for selective transport of methylcyclohexane and toluene LOHC fuels. These selective MOFs may be utilized in a 3D-printable, semi-crystalline allylic disulfide ring opening polymer system as the filler for a chemically robust separation module.