(714a) Functionalized Nanofiltration Membranes for Enhanced Stability in Water Treatment

The research and application of nanofiltration (NF) membranes for water treatment have been advancing rapidly during the past decade. Growing efforts have been put on performance enhancement through chemical modification or structural optimization. However, effective strategies to improve membrane stability, especially in harsh environment, are still under developed.

In this work, recent works in my group on application-oriented design of nanofiltration will be discussed. First, interfacial engineering of dual-layer membranes, thin-film nanofibrous membranes as well as graphene oxide/polyimide membranes for enhanced stability in harsh environment will be discussed. Second, functionalization of nanofiltration membranes on the surface through bio-inspired coatings and the bulk by surface enriched sulfonated polymers will be presented. Third, finely tuned nanoporous membranes for precise separation of similar ions will be touched. These concepts may provide insightful guidelines for application of nanofiltration membranes with wider impacts.

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