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Polymers
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Advanced Polymer for Membrane Applications
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Advanced Polymer for Membrane Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Membranes and Films".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 November 2023) | Viewed by 7716

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zhengzhong Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomass Refining and High-Quality Utilization, Institute of Urban and Rural Mining, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
Interests: membrane science and technology; biomass derived polymer; biomass valorization; chiral resolution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer material is one of the key factors determining the performance of a polymeric membrane. The membrane structures and properties are greatly influenced by the physiochemical properties and unique macromolecular architecture of the polymer. This Special Issue is devoted to the research fields in polymer science and technology for the advancement of polymeric membranes. The membranes fabricated via the utilization of new polymer materials, chemical modification of existing polymer, as well as hybrid additives that enhances the polymer properties, are evaluated for energy, environmental, biomedical, and chemical engineering applications.  

It is my pleasure to invite you to submit a communication, full paper, or review to this Special Issue. Examples of topics within the Special Issue’s scope include, but are not limited to:

  • Synthesis, processing, or modification of polymers for membrane applications;
  • Biomass derived polymers and their application in membranes;
  • Polymeric membrane for energy, environment, or biomedical applications;
  • Environment impact analysis of new polymeric membrane fabrication.

Dr. Zhengzhong Zhou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • advanced polymer
  • biobased polymer
  • hybrid membranes
  • polymer modification
  • membrane separation
  • environment application
  • waste treatment
  • carbon dioxide capture
  • life cycle assessment

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 6280 KiB  
Article
Electrospun Poly (Vinylidene Fluoride-Co-Hexafluoropropylene) Nanofiber Membranes for Brine Treatment via Membrane Distillation
by Amjad Albiladi, Lassaad Gzara, Hussam Organji, Nazeeha S. Alkayal and Alberto Figoli
Polymers 2023, 15(12), 2706; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15122706 - 16 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1726
Abstract
The major challenge for membrane distillation (MD) is the membrane wetting resistance induced by pollutants in the feed solution. The proposed solution for this issue was to fabricate membranes with hydrophobic properties. Hydrophobic electrospun poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofiber membranes were produced for [...] Read more.
The major challenge for membrane distillation (MD) is the membrane wetting resistance induced by pollutants in the feed solution. The proposed solution for this issue was to fabricate membranes with hydrophobic properties. Hydrophobic electrospun poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofiber membranes were produced for brine treatment using the direct-contact membrane distillation (DCMD) technique. These nanofiber membranes were prepared from three different polymeric solution compositions to study the effect of solvent composition on the electrospinning process. Furthermore, the effect of the polymer concentration was investigated by preparing polymeric solutions with three different polymer percentages: 6, 8, and 10%. All of the nanofiber membranes obtained from electrospinning were post-treated at varying temperatures. The effects of thickness, porosity, pore size, and liquid entry pressure (LEP) were studied. The hydrophobicity was determined using contact angle measurements, which were investigated using optical contact angle goniometry. The crystallinity and thermal properties were studied using DSC and XRD, while the functional groups were studied using FTIR. The morphological study was performed with AMF and described the roughness of nanofiber membranes. Finally, all of the nanofiber membranes had enough of a hydrophobic nature to be used in DCMD. A PVDF membrane filter disc and all nanofiber membranes were applied in DCMD to treat brine water. The resulting water flux and permeate water quality were compared, and it was discovered that all of the produced nanofiber membranes showed good behavior with varying water flux, but the salt rejection was greater than 90%. A membrane prepared from DMF/acetone 5-5 with 10% PVDF-HFP provided the perfect performance, with an average water flux of 44 kg.m−2.h−1 and salt rejection of 99.8%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer for Membrane Applications)
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16 pages, 3205 KiB  
Article
Polyethersulfone (PES) Filters Improve the Recovery of Legionella spp. and Enhance Selectivity against Interfering Microorganisms in Water Samples
by Pablo Casino, Asunción López, Sara Peiró, Santiago Rios, Aldous Porta, Gemma Agustí, Daniela Terlevich, Daniel Asensio, Ana María Marqués and Núria Piqué
Polymers 2023, 15(12), 2670; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15122670 - 13 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1119
Abstract
In the analysis of water samples, the type of filtration membrane material can influence the recovery of Legionella species, although this issue has been poorly investigated. Filtration membranes (0.45 µm) from different materials and manufacturers (numbered as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) [...] Read more.
In the analysis of water samples, the type of filtration membrane material can influence the recovery of Legionella species, although this issue has been poorly investigated. Filtration membranes (0.45 µm) from different materials and manufacturers (numbered as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) were compared: mixed cellulose esters (MCEs), nitrocellulose (NC), and polyethersulfone (PES). After membrane filtration of samples, filters were placed directly onto GVPC agar and incubated at 36 ± 2 °C. The highest mean counts of colony-forming units and colony sizes for Legionella pneumophila and Legionella anisa were obtained with PES filters (p < 0.001). All membranes placed on GVPC agar totally inhibited Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 19443 and ATCC 29212, whereas only the PES filter from manufacturer 3 (3-PES) totally inhibited Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PES membrane performance also differed according to the manufacturer, with 3-PES providing the best productivity and selectivity. In real water samples, 3-PES also produced a higher Legionella recovery and better inhibition of interfering microorganisms. These results support the use of PES membranes in methods where the filter is placed directly on the culture media and not only in procedures where membrane filtration is followed by a washing step (according to ISO 11731:2017). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer for Membrane Applications)
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17 pages, 3467 KiB  
Article
Vinylbenzyl Chloride/Styrene-Grafted SBS Copolymers via TEMPO-Mediated Polymerization for the Fabrication of Anion Exchange Membranes for Water Electrolysis
by Andrea Roggi, Elisa Guazzelli, Claudio Resta, Gabriele Agonigi, Antonio Filpi and Elisa Martinelli
Polymers 2023, 15(8), 1826; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15081826 - 08 Apr 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1944
Abstract
In this work, a commercial SBS was functionalized with the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-N-oxyl stable radical (TEMPO) via free-radical activation initiated with benzoyl peroxide (BPO). The obtained macroinitiator was used to graft both vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) and styrene/VBC random copolymer chains from SBS to [...] Read more.
In this work, a commercial SBS was functionalized with the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-N-oxyl stable radical (TEMPO) via free-radical activation initiated with benzoyl peroxide (BPO). The obtained macroinitiator was used to graft both vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) and styrene/VBC random copolymer chains from SBS to create g-VBC-x and g-VBC-x-co-Sty-z graft copolymers, respectively. The controlled nature of the polymerization as well as the use of a solvent allowed us to reduce the extent of the formation of the unwanted, non-grafted (co)polymer, thereby facilitating the graft copolymer’s purification. The obtained graft copolymers were used to prepare films via solution casting using chloroform. The –CH2Cl functional groups of the VBC grafts were then quantitatively converted to –CH2(CH3)3N+ quaternary ammonium groups via reaction with trimethylamine directly on the films, and the films, therefore, were investigated as anion exchange membranes (AEMs) for potential application in a water electrolyzer (WE). The membranes were extensively characterized to assess their thermal, mechanical, and ex situ electrochemical properties. They generally presented ionic conductivity comparable to or higher than that of a commercial benchmark as well as higher water uptake and hydrogen permeability. Interestingly, the styrene/VBC-grafted copolymer was found to be more mechanically resistant than the corresponding graft copolymer not containing the styrene component. For this reason, the copolymer g-VBC-5-co-Sty-16-Q with the best balance of mechanical, water uptake, and electrochemical properties was selected for a single-cell test in an AEM-WE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer for Membrane Applications)
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14 pages, 3739 KiB  
Article
Electrical Stimuli-Responsive Decomposition of Layer-by-Layer Films Composed of Polycations and TEMPO-Modified Poly(acrylic acid)
by Kentaro Yoshida, Toshio Kamijo, Tetsuya Ono, Takenori Dairaku, Shigehiro Takahashi, Yoshitomo Kashiwagi and Katsuhiko Sato
Polymers 2022, 14(24), 5349; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14245349 - 07 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1326
Abstract
We previously reported that layer-by-layer (LbL) film prepared by a combination of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl N-oxyl (TEMPO)-modified polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) were decomposed by application of an electric potential. However, there have been no reports yet for other polycationic species. In this [...] Read more.
We previously reported that layer-by-layer (LbL) film prepared by a combination of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl N-oxyl (TEMPO)-modified polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) were decomposed by application of an electric potential. However, there have been no reports yet for other polycationic species. In this study, LbL films were prepared by combining various polycationics (PEI, poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA), and polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer) and TEMPO-PAA, and the decomposition of the thin films was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and constant potential using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (eQCM). When a potential was applied to an electrode coated on an LbL thin film of polycations and TEMPO-PAA, an oxidation potential peak (Epa) was obtained around +0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl in CV measurements. EQCM measurements showed the decomposition of the LbL films at voltages near the Epa of the TEMPO residues. Decomposition rate was 82% for the (PEI/TEMPO-PAA)5 film, 52% for the (PAH/TEMPO-PAA)5 film, and 49% for the (PDDA/TEMPO-PAA)5 film. It is considered that the oxoammonium ion has a positive charge, and the LbL films were decomposed due to electrostatic repulsion with the polycations (PEI, PAH, and PDDA). These LbL films may lead to applications in drug release by electrical stimulation. On the other hand, the CV of the (PAMAM/TEMPO-PAA)5 film did not decompose. It is possible that the decomposition of the thin film is not promoted, probably because the amount of TEMPO-PAA absorbed is small. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer for Membrane Applications)
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Review

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29 pages, 7908 KiB  
Review
PVDF-Based Piezo-Catalytic Membranes—A Net-Zero Emission Approach towards Textile Wastewater Purification
by Amna Siddique, Hifza Nawaz, Shumaila Razzaque, Anila Tabasum, Hugh Gong, Humaira Razzaq and Muhammad Umar
Polymers 2024, 16(5), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16050699 - 04 Mar 2024
Viewed by 802
Abstract
Among the various water purification techniques, advancements in membrane technology, with better fabrication and analysis, are receiving the most research attention. The piezo-catalytic degradation of water pollutants is an emerging area of research in water purification technology. This review article focuses on piezoelectric [...] Read more.
Among the various water purification techniques, advancements in membrane technology, with better fabrication and analysis, are receiving the most research attention. The piezo-catalytic degradation of water pollutants is an emerging area of research in water purification technology. This review article focuses on piezoelectric polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) polymer-based membranes and their nanocomposites for textile wastewater remediation. At the beginning of this article, the classification of piezoelectric materials is discussed. Among the various membrane-forming polymers, PVDF is a piezoelectric polymer discussed in detail due to its exceptional piezoelectric properties. Polyvinylidene difluoride can show excellent piezoelectric properties in the beta phase. Therefore, various methods of β-phase enhancement within the PVDF polymer and various factors that have a critical impact on its piezo-catalytic activity are briefly explained. This review article also highlights the major aspects of piezoelectric membranes in the context of dye degradation and a net-zero approach. The β-phase of the PVDF piezoelectric material generates an electron–hole pair through external vibrations. The possibility of piezo-catalytic dye degradation via mechanical vibrations and the subsequent capture of the resulting CO2 and H2 gases open up the possibility of achieving the net-zero goal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer for Membrane Applications)
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