Preparation of composite poly（ether block amide） membrane for CO2 capture

In this study, a poly（ether block amide） （Pebax 1657） composite membrane applied for COa capture was prepared by coating Pebax 1657 solution on polyacrylonitrile （PAN） ultrafiltration membrane. Ethanol/water mixture was used as the solvent of Pebax and the effects of ethanol/water mass ratios and Pebax concentration on the permeation properties of composite membrane were studied. To enhance the com- posite membrane permeance, the gutter layer, made from reactive amino silicone crosslinking with potydimethylsiloxane （PDMS）, was de- signed. The influence of crosslinldng degree of the gutter layer on membrane performance was investigated. As a result, a Pebardamino- PDMS/PAN multilayer membrane with hexane resistance was developed, showing CO2 permeance of 350 GPU and CO2/N2 selectivity over 50. The blend of polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether （PEG-DME） with Pebax as coating material was studied to further improve the membrane performance. After being combined with PEG-DME additive, CO2 permeance of the final Pebax-PEG-DME/amino-PDMS/PAN composite membrane reached 400 GPU above with CO2/Na selectivity over 65.     

Study on supported combined liquid membrane containing HEH（EH）P and HNO3 for trivalent gadolinium transfer

A novel kind of supported combined liquid membrane（SCLM） has been studied for the Gd（Ⅲ） transfer.SCLM contained polyvinylidene fluoride membrane（PVDF） as the liquid membrane support and renewal solution including HNO₃ solution as the stripping solution and 2-ethyl hexyl phosphonic acid-mono-2-ethyl hexyl ester（HEH（EH）P） as the carrier dissolved in kerosene. The mixed solution of carrier and kerosene was membrane solution.The optimum transport conditions of Gd（Ⅲ） were that concentration of HNO₃ solution was 4.00 mol/L,concentration of carrier was 0.16 mol/L,and volume ratio of membrane solution to stripping solution was 30:30 of the renewal phase,and pH value was 4.80 of the feed phase.Under the optimum condition studied, when initial concentration of Gd（Ⅲ） was 1.00×10^-4 mol/L,the transfer rate of Gd（Ⅲ） was 96.8%during 130 min.     

‘‘Soggy sand＇＇ polymer composite nanofber membrane electrolytes for lithium ion batteries

A kind of octanol-modifded silica nanoparticle was fabricated and employed as a framework to form‘‘soggy sand’’electrolyte along with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate.‘‘Soggy sand’’and poly（vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene）composite electrolyte membranes were electrospun for the frst time.The properties of this membrane electrolyte have been evaluated by the mechanical test and electrochemical test.The Young’s modulus increased by 275%from 6.8 MPa to 25.5 MPa and the electrical conductivity increased to 7.6 10à5S/cm at 290.15 K when compared to pristine P（VdF-HFP）membrane electrolyte.The conductivity is 3.1 10à4S/cm at 323.15 K.     

Poly(amide-6-b-ethylene oxide)/SAPO-34 mixed ma-trix membrane for CO2separation

In this paper, poly（amide-6-b-ethylene oxide） （Pebax1657）/SAPO-34 mixed matrix membranes （MMMs） were prepared by solvent-evaporation method with acetic acid as a novel solvent. CO2, N2, CH4 and H2 permeation properties were investigated, and the physical properties of Pebax/SAPO-34 MMMs were characterized by XRD and SEM. At low SAPO-34 content, it was homogeneously distributed in the Pebax ma- trix, and then precipitated and agglomerated at high SAPO-34 content. The crystallinity of Pebax phase in Pebax/SAPO-34 MMMs decreased initially and then rebounded as a result of phase separation. With the increase of transmembrane pressure difference, CO2 permeability was en- hanced due to the effect of pressure-induced plasticization. Owing to the happening of stratification, the CO2 permeability of Pebax/SAPO-34 MMMs （50 wt% SAPO-34） increased to 338 Barrer from 111 Barrer of pristine Pebax, while the selectivities of CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 were almost unchanged. Compared with the pristine Pebax, the gas separation performances of Pebax/SAPO-34 MMMs were remarkably enhanced.     

Iodide-selective polymeric membrane electrode based on copper(Ⅱ) bis(N-2-bromophenylsalicyldenaminato) complex

A PVC membrane electrode based on copper（Ⅱ） bis（N-2-bromophenylsalicyldenaminato） as ionophor was prepared.The ion selective electrode was tested by inorganic anions and showed a good selectivity for iodide ion.This sensor exhibited Nernstian behavior with a slope of—57.8 mV per decade at 25℃.The proposed electrode showed a linear range from 1.0×10⁵ to 1.0×10^-1 mol/L with a detection limit of 5.0×10^-6 mol/L.The electrode response was independent of pH in the range of 3.0- 10.0.The proposed sensor was applied to determine the iodide in water and antiseptic samples.     

Erbium(Ⅲ) PVC membrane sensor based on N-(benzyloxycarbonyloxy)succinimide as a new neutral ionophore

In this study,a new Er³⁺ sensor based on N-（benzyloxycarbonyloxy）succinimide（BCS） as a neutral carrier has been constructed. The sensor exhibits potential linear response with a Nernstian slope of 20.5±0.4 mV/decade in the concentration range of 1.0×10^-6to 1.0×10^-2mol/L of Er³⁺.It has a very short response time（<10 s）,detection limit of 6.3×10^-7 mol/L and a good selectivity relative to a wide variety of other metal ions including common alkali,alkaline earth,heavy,and transition metal ions.It can be used in the pH range of 2.5-10.6 without any considerable divergence in potentials.The proposed sensor was successfully applied for the recovery of Er³⁺ ions spiked in tap and river water samples.     

Competitive bulk liquid membrane transport of Co(Ⅱ),Ni(Ⅱ),Zn(Ⅱ),Cd(Ⅱ),Ag(Ⅰ),Cu(Ⅱ)and Mn(Ⅱ),cations using 2,2'-dithio(bis)benzothiazole as carrier

A series of competitive metal-ion transport experiments has been performed.Each involved transport from an aqueous source phase across an organic membrane phase into an aqueous receiving phase.The source phase contained equimolar concentration of Co（Ⅱ）,Ni（Ⅱ）,Zn（Ⅱ）,Cd（Ⅱ）,Ag（Ⅰ）,Cu（Ⅱ） and Mn（Ⅱ） metal cations.The transport experiments of metal cations were carried out by 2,2’-dithio（bis）benzothiazole（DTB） in chloroform（CHCl₃）.The source phase being buffered at range pH of 4-6.5 and receiving phase being buffered at pH 3.The obtained results show that the selectivity and the efficiency of Ag（I） transport from aqueous solutions are observed in this investigation.The effect of concentration of palmitic acid in the transport efficiency of Ag（Ⅰ） ion was also conformed.     

Optimizing functional layer of cation exchange membrane by three-dimensional cross-linking quaternization for enhancing monovalent selectivity

Monovalent cation perm-selective membrane（MCPMs） allow fast and selective transport of monovalent cations, and they are promisingly required for extraction of special ions, such as lithium extraction, acid recovery and sea salt production. Herein, we report a novel strategy to design the critical functional layers of MCPMs with both space charge repulsion and cross-linked dense screenability. The in-situ deposition polymerization of pyrrole was carried out on the surface of sulfonated polyphenyl...     

Synthesis of polypiperazine-amide thin-film membrane on PPESK hollow fiber UF membrane

A new interfacial polymerization (IP) procedure is developed in order to synthesize polypiperazine-amide thin-film membrane on the inner surface of poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone) (PPESK) hollow fiber ultrafiltration (UF) membrane.A hollow fiber composite membrane with good performance was prepared and studied by FT-IR and scanning electron microscopy.     

Preparation of γ-Al_2O_3 composite membrane and examination of membrane defects

A boehmite sol with a narrow particle size distribution and most probable diameter of 35 nm was prepared by peptization of boehmite suspension with HNO3 An unsupported γ-Al2O3 membrane made from the above sol possessed a narrow pore size distribution,with an average pore size of 4.8 nm and 320 m2/g specific surface area.A supported y-Al2O3 membrane produced by repeating dipping-drying-calcination procedure twice was proven to be defect-free by gas permeation measurements and SEM.     

Energy-transducing membrane

The states of chlorophyll a (Chl a) incorporated in a liquid crystal membrane were investigated by spectrophotometry in the visible and IR regions.N-(p-methoxybenzylidene)-p′-butylaniline (MBBA) was used as the liquid crystal. The Chl a-MBBA (1∶3 in molar ratio) showed the dihydrate-Chl a aggregate peak at 743 nm under excess water conditions. IR spectroscopic evidence indicated that the Chl a-MBBA membrane was hydrated in the dihydrate stoichiometry [Chl a-3MBBA-2H₂O], via the C-10 ester OC…H(H)O…Mg and the C-9 keto OC…H(H)O…Mg bondings.     

High-performance membrane chromatography of serum and plasma membrane proteins.

Porous discs made of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) were used for high-performance membrane chromatography (HPMC) of proteins. In model experiments, separations of standard proteins by anion-exchange HPMC using a DEAE disc were carried out. The influences of sample distribution and disc diameter and thickness on separation performance were studied. The separation disc allowed a scaling-up from analytical (diameter 10 mm) to semi-preparative (diameter 50 mm) dimensions. In an application study, separations with anion-exchange and affinity HPMC were carried out using different complex samples such as rat serum and plasma membrane proteins. In all experiments the results on poly(glycidyl methacrylate) discs were comparable to those achieved on adequate high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) columns. However, the separations on HPMC discs could be carried out faster than corresponding separations on HPLC columns. The pressure drop on the discs was low even at high flow-rates. The experiments show that the poly(glycidyl methacrylate) discs used are especially suitable for the isolation of proteins and other biopolymers which occur in a diluted state in complex mixtures.     

Supramolecular membrane transport: From biomimics to membrane sensors

A stable, long-lived membrane sensor for dissolved oxygen is reported. A conventional amperometric Clark cell was augmented through the addition of an ion-exchange carrier to the membrane to permit export of hydroxide in exchange for chloride in the sample solution. The choice of a suitable carrier was determined from two types of supramolecular principles: (1) the characteristic flux as a function of the magnitude of the two-phase ion exchange equilibrium constant (K_ex) for an antiport transport cycle as derived for biomimetic ion transport studies and (2) the use of guanidinium ion exchangers to provide hydrogen-bonding in addition to electrostatic recognition for enhanced hydroxide/chloride selectivity. The membrane of the sensor supports the anticipated ion-exchange as it continues to provide stable current beyond the point where the initial internal chloride would be entirely consumed. As a consequence, stable and responsive sensors can be fabricated using planar techniques such as screen printing.     

Enzyme catalytic membrane based on a hybrid mesoporous membrane

Immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOD) within a hybrid mesoporous membrane with 12 nm pore diameter was successfully achieved, resulting in catalytically high efficiency during flow of a glucose solution across the membrane.     

Ionic salt permeabilities and membrane potentials of asymmetric polypeptide membrane

Asymmetric membrane potentials and transport properties of polypeptide membrane consisting of two layers with poly(L-glutamic acid) and poly (γ-methylL-glutamate) were studied in the pH range of 2 to 6 at 25 °C. Under the condition adopted, the poly (L-glutamic acid) layer of the membrane underwentα helix to coil transition which was confirmed by ATR-IR measurements. The membrane potentials of the asymmetric membrane between two identical solutions of KCl,Δψ _asym, which is called asymmetric potential, were observed.Δψ _asym values were effected by the structural transition of poly (L-glutamic acid) layer. As a result, the effective charge density of the membrane, which was derived by the asymmetric membrane potential measurements, had a maximum at the transition region of pH=4.8. On the other hand, the permeation coefficient of KCl,P _i, was higher in the direction from poly (L-glutamic acid) side to poly (γ-methylL-glutamate) side, “G →M direction”, than in the oppositeM →G direction. Furthermore,P _i inG →M direction was dependent on the solution pH, that is,P _i decreased when pH was increased to 4.8 and increased on further increasing of pH These membrane behaviors were described in terms of the competition between structural transition and variation of fixed charge density owing to the helix to coil transition of the asymmetric polypeptide membrane.     

Mitigated membrane fouling in a vertical submerged membrane bioreactor (VSMBR)

In a laboratory-scale study, characteristics of membrane fouling in an A/O (anoxic/oxic) series membrane bioreactor (MBR) and in a vertical submerged membrane bioreactor (VSMBR) treating synthetic wastewater were compared under the same operating conditions. Accordingly, fouling characteristics of a pilot-scale VSMBR treating municipal wastewater were studied under various operating conditions. Various physical, chemical, and biological factors were used to describe membrane resistances. As a result, it was concluded that high concentrations of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), high viscosity and a high sludge volume index (SVI) corresponded to high membrane resistance indicating severe membrane fouling in both the laboratory-scale MBRs and the pilot-scale VSMBR. In addition, high fouling potential was observed in the pilot-scale VSMBR at 60-day sludge retention time (SRT). In this case, as hydraulic retention time (HRT) decreased from 10 to 4 h, EPS concentrations increased and the average particle size increased, leading to reduced settling of the sludge and increased membrane fouling. To mitigate fouling, two different methods using air bubble jets were adopted in the pilot-scale VSMBR. As a result, it was found that air backwashing was more efficient for fouling mitigation than was air scouring.     

New cocaine-selective membrane electrode

The sensitivity and selectivity of a cocaine-selective membrane electrode have been improved with the use of sodium tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate as an ion-exchanger and tetrakis(2-ethylhexyl) pyromellitate (TEHPY) as a solvent mediator. The use of TEHPY suppressed the responses to lipophilic quaternary ammonium ions and strengthened the response to cocaine. The electrode exhibited a near-Nernstian response over a concentration range of 10⁻²to 10⁻⁶ M cocaine with a slope of 56 mV per decade. The lower limit of detection was 4 × 10⁻⁷ M cocaine. Interference by other drugs (morphine and codeine) and a stimulant (methamphetamine) was negligible. This electrode was applied for the determination of cocaine in a drug mixture containing cocaine and morphine, which is widely used to suppress acute pain in cancer patients. The concentration of cocaine, different in each patient, was measured precisely with an average recovery of 99.9% and a mean relative standard deviation of 0.56%.     

Surface glycosylation of polysulfone membrane towards a novel complexing membrane for boron removal

In this study, a novel complexing membrane was synthesized for boron removal from aqueous solution. A glycopolymer, poly(2-gluconamidoethyl methacrylate) (PGAMA), was grafted onto the chloromethylated polysulfone (CMPSF) microporous membrane via surface-initiated ATRP (SIATRP). The glycosylated PSF (GlyPSF) membrane was characterized by attenuated total refection-Flourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). It was demonstrated that PGAMA was successfully anchored onto the membrane surface and the grafting yield can be tuned in a wide range up to 5.9 mg/cm(2) by varying the polymerization time. The complexing membrane can adsorb boron rapidly with the equilibrium reached within 2h and has a remarkable high boron adsorption capacity higher than 2.0 mmol/g at optimized conditions. Freundlich, Langmuir, and Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption isotherms were applied, and the data were best described by Langmuir model. Kinetic data were analyzed, and the data fitted very well to the pseudo-second-order rate expression. The optimal pH for boron uptake is in a wide range of 6-9, and the optimal initial boron concentration is over 300 mg/L. Studies of ionic strength effects indicated the formation of inner-sphere surface complexes. The complexed boron can be leached quantitatively under acid condition.     

Two-dimensional electrophoresis of membrane proteins

One third of all genes of various organisms encode membrane proteins, emphasizing their crucial cellular role. However, due to their high hydrophobicity, membrane proteins demonstrate low solubility and a high tendency for aggregation. Indeed, conventional two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), a powerful electrophoretic method for the separation of complex protein samples that applies isoelectric focusing (IEF) in the first dimension and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in the second dimension, has a strong bias against membrane proteins. This review describes two-dimensional electrophoretic techniques that can be used to separate membrane proteins. Alternative methods for performing conventional 2-DE are highlighted; these involve replacing the IEF with electrophoresis using cationic detergents, namely 16-benzyldimethyl-n-hexadecylammonium chloride (16-BAC) and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), or the anionic detergent SDS. Finally, the separation of native membrane protein complexes through the application of blue and clear native gel electrophoresis (BN/CN-PAGE) is reviewed, as well as the free-flow electrophoresis (FFE) of membranes.