Gas Permeation and Liquid Filtration Cells for Understanding Transport Mechanisms through Covalent Organic Framework (COF) Membranes

In the ever-evolving landscape of membrane technology, understanding the transport mechanisms of novel Covalent Organic Framework (COF) membranes holds great promise. COF membranes have the potential to address the complex challenge of separating the mixtures (e.g., xylene isomers having closely matched boiling points) that are otherwise challenging with other energy-intensive separation techniques (e.g., distillation), making them invaluable for a wide range of separation processes, environmental sustainability, and resource management.

This research, initiated in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, focuses on elucidating the transport mechanisms through COF membranes. It is important to note that this project is in its early stage, and the researcher has recently joined the team and an important milestone has already been reached: the construction of a gas permeation cell following the ASTM2476-20 standard. This cell is now being employed to explore the behavior of gas permeance of COF membranes under various pressure conditions and gas mixtures.

The gas permeation cell's adherence to ASTM standards ensures the rigor and accuracy of our experiments as we understand the fundamental COF membrane transport properties. Through systematic testing of different pressure conditions and gas mixtures, we aim to unravel the underlying mechanisms governing gas permeance through COF membranes. These insights are vital for the development of more efficient gas separation processes (e.g., xylene isomer separation) and applications.

Looking to the future, our research is poised to expand into liquid filtration cells. For this, we will utilize TpHz COF membranes that are readily available, thanks to the work conducted in Dr. Kailong Jin's lab. These liquid filtration cells will enable us to study the separation of dyes and salts, a task of critical importance in various industrial and environmental applications.

Overall, this abstract offers a glimpse into the early stages of our research journey, underlining the importance of gas permeation cells and the promise of forthcoming liquid filtration studies. As we proceed, we aim to unlock the full potential of COF membranes, contributing to innovative solutions in separation science and technology.