(484b) Copper-Decorated Carbon Nanofiber Mixed Matrix Polymer Membranes for Enhanced Permselectivity

This presentation will explore the effects of multidimensional nanomaterials, specifically copper nanoparticles and high aspect ratio electrospun carbon nanofibers (CNF), on the interfacial properties of mixed matrix membranes when incorporated into a PVDF matrix. Remarkably, a mere 1wt% loading of Cu+CNF in the PVDF matrix led to a salt rejection rate of over 99.8% and a significant 64% rise in water vapor flux. The resulting alterations in attributes such as pore size, porosity, thickness, hydrophobicity, chemical heterogeneity, crystallinity, and thermal stability were verified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), machine learning image segmentation, and Scattering and Wide-Angle X-scattering (SAXS and WAXS) methods. Furthermore, an autoregression forecasting model was developed using water vapor flux and salt rejection rate datasets to predict the long-term stability and performance of the membrane. The research offers important insights into the commercial potential of these enhanced membranes for MD applications.