Nanoscale control of internal inhomogeneity enhances water transport in desalination membranes
Nanoscale control of internal inhomogeneity enhances water transport in desalination membranes
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DOI：
10.1126/science.abb8518
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发表时间：
2021-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Gomez, Enrique D.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Culp, Tyler E.;Khara, Biswajit;Gomez, Enrique D.
生物膜依赖于膜蛋白形式的明确的内部纳米结构，在保持理想的选择性的同时，可以实现显著的高渗透率。在这里，我们将这样的设计策略应用于海水淡化膜。一系列聚酰胺脱盐膜是在工业规模的生产线上合成的，工艺条件不同，但化学成分相似，在氯化钠选择性恒定的情况下，水渗透率和活性层厚度都有所增加。透射电子显微镜测量使我们能够确定纳米级三维聚酰胺密度图，并预测水的渗透率与零可调参数。密度波动不利于水的传输，这使得系统地控制纳米级聚酰胺的非均质性成为在不牺牲海水淡化膜中盐选择性的情况下最大化水渗透的关键途径。
Biological membranes can achieve remarkably high permeabilities, while maintaining ideal selectivities, by relying on well-defined internal nanoscale structures in the form of membrane proteins. Here, we apply such design strategies to desalination membranes. A series of polyamide desalination membranes-which were synthesized in an industrial-scale manufacturing line and varied in processing conditions but retained similar chemical compositions-show increasing water permeability and active layer thickness with constant sodium chloride selectivity. Transmission electron microscopy measurements enabled us to determine nanoscale three-dimensional polyamide density maps and predict water permeability with zero adjustable parameters. Density fluctuations are detrimental to water transport, which makes systematic control over nanoscale polyamide inhomogeneity a key route to maximizing water permeability without sacrificing salt selectivity in desalination membranes.