Polymer Inclusion Membranes

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymeric Membranes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 12770

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Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Av. Universidad 3000, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Interests: liquid and polymer inclusion membranes; passive sampling; chemometrics; development and validation of analytical methods; experimental design
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Dear Colleagues,

Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), in which a carrier is entrapped in a polymeric matrix either in the presence or absence of a plasticizer, have gained attention in recent years due to their specific advantages such as easy synthesis, effective carrier immobilization, versatility, and good mechanical properties, among others. They are recognized as membranes with outstanding efficiency factors (permeability, selectivity, and stability) and thought to be an alternative to liquid membranes, in which the extracting phase is immobilized within the pores of a polymeric support. Although the main applications of PIMs have been focused on the extraction and separation processes of metal ions and small organic molecules, and most published work reports rely on the facilitated extraction and transport of them, as well as ion-selective membrane electrodes for potentiometric measurements, other important areas of application are emerging every day. These include optode and catalyzer development, their inclusion in energy conversion and passive sampling devices, their applications in speciation measurements and mimicking metal accumulation in organisms and biofilms, their use in sample pretreatment methods, e.g., electromembrane extraction, and nanoparticle synthesis. In addition to cellulose triacetate (CTA) or poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) as commonly used supports, new ones are now employed as polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-polystyrene triblock co-polymer (SBS) or poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP). In addition, new approaches for their synthesis based on diluent-free methods and using green solvents have been recently proposed. PIM characterization by several analytical techniques (e.g., backscattering spectrometry, AFM, FTIR, X-ray, SEM, DSC, TGA, transmission infrared mapping microscopy (TIMM), Far-IR, Raman, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS)) and the application of theoretical schemes to model transport behavior have been employed to conceptualize the interactions, distribution, and behavior of the membrane components, and to identify correlations between membrane structure and transport performance. The understanding of the role that the different PIM components play in membrane transport to facilitate the design of membrane systems for particular applications has been an important area of study in PIM research.

This Special Issue will present a comprehensive overview of the inclusion of PIMs in novel applications, the new synthetic routes, the incorporation of novel carriers, supports and plasticizers, the progress in integration between PIM characterization and transport performance understanding, to show the progress recently made in PIM technology. All aspects that contribute to successful advancements in designing, understanding, and applying PIMs are of interest and welcome to submission.

I am positive about the impact that this Special Issue will have in the PIM community and how it will serve as a reference for future development.

Prof. Dr. Eduardo Rodríguez de San Miguel Guerrero
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Novel materials for PIMs
  • New fabrication schemes
  • Transport characterization and modeling
  • Applications: passive sampling, catalyst, nanoparticle synthesis, optodes, electrodes, mimicking of biosystems, energy conversion, speciation analysis, sample pretreatment methods; transport and separation; sensors
  • PIM characterization methods and interpretation

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 211 KiB  
Editorial
Polymer Inclusion Membranes
by Eduardo Rodríguez de San Miguel
Membranes 2022, 12(2), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12020226 - 16 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2164
Abstract
Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) are a kind of membrane in which a carrier is physically trapped within a polymer network usually in, but not restricted to, the presence of a plasticizer [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Inclusion Membranes)

Research

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23 pages, 3461 KiB  
Article
Structural Characterization of the Plasticizers’ Role in Polymer Inclusion Membranes Used for Indium (III) Transport Containing IONQUEST® 801 as Carrier
by Alejandro Mancilla-Rico, Josefina de Gyves and Eduardo Rodríguez de San Miguel
Membranes 2021, 11(6), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11060401 - 27 May 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2369
Abstract
Polymer inclusion membranes containing cellulose triacetate as support, Ionquest® 801 ((2–ethylhexyl acid) -mono (2–ethylhexyl) phosphonic ester) as extractant, and 2NPOE (o–nitrophenyl octyl ether) or TBEP (tri (2–butoxyethyl phosphate)) as plasticizers were characterized using several instrumental techniques (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT–IR), Reflection [...] Read more.
Polymer inclusion membranes containing cellulose triacetate as support, Ionquest® 801 ((2–ethylhexyl acid) -mono (2–ethylhexyl) phosphonic ester) as extractant, and 2NPOE (o–nitrophenyl octyl ether) or TBEP (tri (2–butoxyethyl phosphate)) as plasticizers were characterized using several instrumental techniques (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT–IR), Reflection Infrared Mapping Microscopy (RIMM), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)) with the aim of determining physical and chemical parameters (structure, electric resistance, dielectric constant, thickness, components’ distributions, glass transition temperature, stability) that allow a better comprehension of the role that the plasticizer plays in PIMs designed for In(III) transport. In comparison to TBEP, 2NPOE presents less dispersion and affinity in the PIMs, a plasticizer effect at higher content, higher membrane resistance and less permittivity, and a pronounced drop in the glass transition temperature. However, the increase in permittivity with In (III) sorption is more noticeable and, in general, PIMs with 2NPOE present higher permeability values. These facts indicate that In (III) transport is favored in membranes with chemical environment of high polarity and efficiently plasticized. A drawback is the decrease in stability because of the minor affinity among the components in 2NPOE–PIMs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Inclusion Membranes)
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18 pages, 7760 KiB  
Article
Integration of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as an Optimization Tool for Polymer Inclusion Membrane Based-Optodes Designed for Hg(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II)
by Jeniffer García-Beleño and Eduardo Rodríguez de San Miguel
Membranes 2021, 11(4), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11040288 - 14 Apr 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2432
Abstract
An optimization of the composition of polymer inclusion membrane (PIM)-based optodes, and their exposure times to metal ion solutions (Hg(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II)) was performed using two different chromophores, diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone) and 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN). Four factors were evaluated (chromophore (0.06–1 mg), cellulose triacetate [...] Read more.
An optimization of the composition of polymer inclusion membrane (PIM)-based optodes, and their exposure times to metal ion solutions (Hg(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II)) was performed using two different chromophores, diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone) and 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN). Four factors were evaluated (chromophore (0.06–1 mg), cellulose triacetate (25–100 mg) and plasticizer amounts (25–100 mg), and exposure time (20–80 min)). Derringer’s desirability functions values were employed as response variables to perform the optimization obtained from the results of three different processes of spectral data treatment: two full-spectrum methods (M1 and M3) and one band-based method (M2). The three different methods were compared using a heatmap of the coefficients and dendrograms of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA)reductions of their desirability functions. The final recommended M3 processing method, i.e., using the scores values of the first two principal components in PCA after subtraction of the normalized spectra of the membranes before and after complexation, gave more discernable differences between the PIMs in the Design of Experiments (DoE), as the nodes among samples appeared at longer distances and varyingly distributed in the dendrogram analysis. The optimal values were time of 35–65 min, 0.53 mg–1.0 mg of chromophores, plasticizers 34.4–71.9 of chromophores, and 62.5–100 mg of CTA, depending on the metal ion. In addition, the method yielded the best outcomes in terms of interpretability and an easily discernable color change so that it is recommended as a novel optimization method for this kind of PIM optode. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Inclusion Membranes)
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11 pages, 2467 KiB  
Article
Some Critical Remarks about Mathematical Model Used for the Description of Transport Kinetics in Polymer Inclusion Membrane Systems
by Piotr Szczepański
Membranes 2020, 10(12), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10120411 - 10 Dec 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2021
Abstract
Two kinetic models which are applied for the description of metal ion transport in polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) systems are presented and compared. The models were fitted to the real experimental data of Zn(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), and Pb(II) simultaneous transport through PIM with [...] Read more.
Two kinetic models which are applied for the description of metal ion transport in polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) systems are presented and compared. The models were fitted to the real experimental data of Zn(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), and Pb(II) simultaneous transport through PIM with di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as a carrier, o-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) as a plasticizer, and cellulose triacetate (CTA) as a polymer matrix. The selected membrane was composed of 43 wt. % D2EHPA, 19 wt. % NPOE, and 38 wt. % CTA. The results indicated that the calculated initial fluxes (from 2 × 10−11 up to 9 × 10−10 mol/cm2s) are similar to the values observed by other authors in systems operating under similar conditions. It was found that one of the most frequently applied models based on an equation similar to the first-order chemical reaction equation leads to abnormal distribution of residuals. It was also found that application of this model causes some problems with curve fitting and leads to the underestimation of permeability coefficients and initial maximum fluxes. Therefore, a new model has been proposed to describe the transport kinetics in PIM systems. This new model, based on an equation similar to the first-order chemical reaction equation with equilibrium, was successfully applied. The fit of this model to the experimental data is much better and makes it possible to determine more precisely the initial maximum flux as the parameter describing the transport efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Inclusion Membranes)
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8 pages, 2265 KiB  
Communication
Lactic Acid Permeation through Deep Eutectic Solvents-Based Polymer Inclusion Membranes
by Michiaki Matsumoto, Sae Takemori and Yoshiro Tahara
Membranes 2020, 10(9), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10090244 - 19 Sep 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2823
Abstract
Lactic acid that is prepared by fermentation is a compound in food, cosmetic pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Since a simple technique is desired that separates lactic acid from the cultures, we propose lactic acid permeation through a poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC)-based membrane that contains deep [...] Read more.
Lactic acid that is prepared by fermentation is a compound in food, cosmetic pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Since a simple technique is desired that separates lactic acid from the cultures, we propose lactic acid permeation through a poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC)-based membrane that contains deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as a carrier. Lactic acid was successfully permeated through polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) containing hydrophilic DESs, urea-choline chloride and glucose-choline chloride. The permeation behavior was explained by the facilitated transport mechanism based on the solution-diffusion model. Simple preparation of thinner membranes in the PIM process and higher permeation rates are advantages over the supported liquid membrane process. The PVC-based membrane process containing environmentally benign hydrophilic DESs is promising for lactic acid separation on an industrial scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Inclusion Membranes)
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