Engineered Applications of Carbon Nanotubes in Reverse Osmosis Membranes

主要研究者： Chinedum Osuji提案编号： 1133484水量和水质的下降加速了海水淡化作为可靠的饮用水源的采用。 然而，膜脱盐技术的广泛应用受到高能源需求的限制。 需要对反渗透（RO）膜进行根本性的重新设计，以满足能源受限环境中的水资源需求。 拟议研究的首要目标是通过增加膜渗透性和减少结垢来减少膜脱盐的能源需求。 该项目利用碳纳米管（CNT）的独特性能，设计具有高通量和抗生物污染的新型反渗透膜。 第一个目标是通过将单壁碳纳米管（SWNTs）引入薄膜屏障中来提高传统薄膜复合（TFC）RO膜的渗透性并减少生物污染。 他们假设，单壁碳纳米管将扰乱薄膜聚酰胺层的聚合物填充结构，从而提高传统TFC膜的渗透性。 单壁碳纳米管的抗微生物特性也为防止膜生物污染提供了新的策略。 拟议的研究将优化单壁碳纳米管纳入TFC反渗透膜，评估单壁碳纳米管对膜渗透性和选择性的影响，量化微生物灭活在单壁碳纳米管TFC膜表面，并阐明渗透性增强和细菌细胞毒性的机制途径。 本研究的第二个目的是制备一种取向的单壁碳纳米管膜。 理论预测通过对齐的CNT膜的高通量和高盐截留率，但是目前的制造技术不能通过尺寸排阻机制产生满足脱盐的理论要求的膜。 使用液晶试剂的SWNT的合成后对准将产生具有足够小以排斥水合盐离子的SWNT直径的膜。 他们的研究将涉及单壁碳纳米管的制备和表征、液晶体系的优化和表征、单壁碳纳米管取向的演示、取向单壁碳纳米管膜的表征以及膜孔隙率的优化。拟议的研究将为制造具有高渗透性和降低生物污染倾向的耐用反渗透膜奠定科学基础。 这些下一代反渗透膜将大大减少能源使用和脱盐成本，从而为通过海水淡化增加和多样化全球供水提供可行的途径。 从这项研究中获得的知识可以很容易地应用于开发高选择性的碳纳米管基超滤和纳滤膜，可用于生物医学，化学，分析和环境分离过程。申请的大部分资金将用于培养一名博士生，从事新兴的跨学科研究课题。 学生将有机会担任新开发的高分子物理课程的助教，该课程的特点是在拟议的工作中大量使用实验技术的实验室模块。 此外，两名本科生将开展他们的高级论文研究作为本项目的一部分。 PI和co-PI都致力于招募科学领域代表性不足的群体，并将在本项目中进一步实现这一目标。 拟议的工作将被用作高中科学项目的设计和实施的基础，作为纽黑文科学博览会的学生和科学教师（REScT）计划的研究经验的一部分。 至关重要的是，这些推广工作促进了K-12科学教育，提高了对水质和环境问题的认识。 除了研究和教育方面的好处，拟议的工作有可能产生深远的、切实的社会影响，因为它直接涉及科学的进步和技术的发展，以解决一个紧迫的问题。

PI: Chinedum OsujiProposal Number: 1133484Decline in water quantity and quality has accelerated the adoption of desalination as a reliable source of potable water. Widespread implementation of membrane-based desalination technologies, however, is constrained by the high energy requirement. A fundamental redesign of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes will be needed to meet water resource needs in an energy constrained environment. The overarching aim of the proposed research is to reduce the energy demands of membrane-based desalination by increasing membrane permeability and reducing fouling. This project exploits the unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the design of novel RO membranes with high flux and resistance to biofouling. The first objective is to improve permeability and reduce biofouling of conventional thin-film composite (TFC) RO membranes by incorporating single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) into the thin-film barrier. They hypothesize that SWNTs will perturb the polymer packing structure of the thin-film polyamide layer, thereby enhancing the permeability of conventional TFC membranes. The antimicrobial characteristics of SWNTs also offer novel strategies for the prevention of membrane biofouling. The proposed research will optimize SWNT incorporation into TFC RO membranes, evaluate the impact of SWNTs on membrane permeability and selectivity, quantify microbial inactivation at the SWNT-TFC membrane surface, and elucidate the mechanistic pathways for permeability enhancement and bacterial cytotoxicity. The second objective of the proposed research is to fabricate an aligned SWNT membrane. Theory predicts high flux and high salt rejection through aligned CNT membranes, but current fabrication techniques cannot produce membranes that meet theoretical requirements for desalination through a size exclusion mechanism. Post-synthesis alignment of SWNTs using liquid crystalline agents will yield a membrane with SWNT diameters small enough to reject hydrated salt ions. Their research will involve the preparation and characterization of SWNTs, optimization and characterization of the liquid crystalline system, demonstration of SWNT alignment, characterization of aligned SWNT membranes, and optimization of membrane porosity.The proposed research will develop the scientific base for the fabrication of robust RO membranes with high permeability and reduced biofouling propensity. These next generation RO membranes will substantially reduce the energy use and cost of desalination, thereby providing a viable avenue for augmenting and diversifying global water supplies via seawater desalination. Knowledge gained from this research can be readily applied to the development of highly selective carbon nanotube-based ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes that can be used in biomedical, chemical, analytical, and environmental separation processes.The majority of requested funds will be applied toward the training of a doctoral student on an emerging and interdisciplinary research topic. The student will have the opportunity to serve as a TA on a newly developed Polymer Physics course that features a lab module on experimental techniques heavily utilized in the proposed work. Additionally, two undergraduate students will carry out their senior theses research as part of this project. Both the PI and co-PI are committed to recruitment of underrepresented groups in science and will further that goal in this project. The proposed work will be used as the basis for the design and implementation of high school science projects, as part of the New Haven Science Fair for students and a Research Experience for Science Teachers (REScT) program. Critically, these outreach efforts advance K-12 science education and increase awareness of water quality and environmental issues. Beyond the research and educational benefits, the proposed work has the potential for profound, tangible societal impact, as it directly addresses the advancement of science and development of technology to tackle a pressing concern.