Research

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11 pages, 3794 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Chemical Activation on Surface Properties of Poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) Film

by Xuelei Li, Li Zhang, Hu Wang and Yongqing Zhao

Polymers 2022, 14(21), 4606; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214606 - 30 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1237

Due to their low surface energy, poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) (FEP) films must be treated by chemical or physical activation methods before using. Among these activation strategies, using sodium naphthalene solution is a popular one. However, the effect of this strategy’s chemical activation conditions on the [...] Read more.

Due to their low surface energy, poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) (FEP) films must be treated by chemical or physical activation methods before using. Among these activation strategies, using sodium naphthalene solution is a popular one. However, the effect of this strategy’s chemical activation conditions on the surface properties of the FEP film is rarely discussed. In this study, FEP films were chemically activated by the sodium naphthalene solution with adjusting concentration, solvent, and activation time. With increasing concentration and activation time, many granular substances appeared on the surface of the FEP film. When tetrahydrofuran was used as a solvent, the color of the film gradually turned brown; when 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone was chosen as the solvent, the color change was not very significant. The contact angle was significantly reduced from 112° before activation to 26° after activation, and the surface energy was greatly enhanced from 34 mN m⁻¹ before activation to 66 mN m⁻¹ after activation. In addition, compared with the FEP samples treated by Ar plasma, the sodium naphthalene system showed a stronger activation ability. Activated FEP films that suffered from the Ar plasma treatment could still maintain a higher energy surface than that of the pristine FEP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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18 pages, 13001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Facile Fabrication of Flexible Polymeric Membranes with Micro and Nano Apertures over Large Areas

by Kebin Li, Javier Alejandro Hernández-Castro, Keith Morton and Teodor Veres

Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4228; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194228 - 09 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2047

Abstract

Freestanding, flexible and open through-hole polymeric micro- and nanostructured membranes were successfully fabricated over large areas (>16 cm²) via solvent removal of sacrificial scaffolds filled with polymer resin by spontaneous capillary flow. Most of the polymeric membranes were obtained through a [...] Read more.

Freestanding, flexible and open through-hole polymeric micro- and nanostructured membranes were successfully fabricated over large areas (>16 cm²) via solvent removal of sacrificial scaffolds filled with polymer resin by spontaneous capillary flow. Most of the polymeric membranes were obtained through a rapid UV curing processes via cationic or free radical UV polymerisation. Free standing microstructured membranes were fabricated across a range of curable polymer materials, including: EBECRYL3708 (radical UV polymerisation), CUVR1534 (cationic UV polymerisation) UV lacquer, fluorinated perfluoropolyether urethane methacrylate UV resin (MD700), optical adhesive UV resin with high refractive index (NOA84) and medical adhesive UV resin (1161-M). The present method was also extended to make a thermal set polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes. The pore sizes for the as-fabricated membranes ranged from 100 µm down to 200 nm and membrane thickness could be varied from 100 µm down to 10 µm. Aspect ratios as high as 16.7 were achieved for the 100 µm thick membranes for pore diameters of approximately 6 µm. Wide-area and uniform, open through-hole 30 µm thick membranes with 15 µm pore size were fabricated over 44 × 44 mm² areas. As an application example, arrays of Au nanodots and Pd nanodots, as small as 130 nm, were deposited on Si substrates using a nanoaperture polymer through-hole membrane as a stencil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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22 pages, 3661 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reconstruction and Removal Mechanisms of Gel-like Membrane Fouling for Seawater Desalination: Experiments and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

by Qi Wang, Xiangyu Yang, Ronghui Qi and Lizhi Zhang

Polymers 2022, 14(18), 3734; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14183734 - 07 Sep 2022

Viewed by 1585

Abstract

Anti-gel fouling is a key problem faced by membrane desalination, especially for applications in organic acid-rich seawater. In this paper, a chemical crosslinking-based method was used to reconstruct and characterize the gel pollutants produced under the actual operating conditions of seawater desalination. In [...] Read more.

Anti-gel fouling is a key problem faced by membrane desalination, especially for applications in organic acid-rich seawater. In this paper, a chemical crosslinking-based method was used to reconstruct and characterize the gel pollutants produced under the actual operating conditions of seawater desalination. In addition to the calcium alginate/calcium humate three-dimensional network skeleton, salt ions (K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻) in solution were also considered to ensure that the reconstructed gel was similar to pollutant gels on membranes under practical operating conditions. Characterizations showed that the reconstructed gel has high thermal insulation and stability, thus adjusting the temperature has no removal effect. Two detergents (sodium citrate and sodium hydroxide) were investigated, and their gel-removal mechanism was elucidated by molecular dynamics simulation. Numerical analysis showed that the electrostatic attraction interaction had a significant role in the gel cleaning process. Owing to the attraction of the lower electrostatic potential region in the cleaning agent, the ion exchange between Na+ in the cleaning agent and Ca²⁺ in the gel led to the breaking of the Ca²⁺-induced intermolecular bridge in the complex. As the adhesion of fouling gels decreased, the gel water solubility was increased, resulting in a decrease in weight and strength of the gel. Therefore, the integrity of the gel fouling layer was weakened and can be effectively removed. This study provides a theoretical basis for the removal of gel-like membrane fouling during actual seawater desalination. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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15 pages, 6067 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficient Retention and Alpha Spectroscopy of Actinides from Aqueous Solutions Using a Combination of Water-Soluble Star-like Polymers and Ultrafiltration Membranes

by Valery N. Bliznyuk, Nataliya V. Kutsevol, Yuliia I. Kuziv, Scott M. Husson and Timothy A. DeVol

Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3441; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173441 - 23 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1292

Abstract

We explored two approaches to recover uranium and plutonium from aqueous solutions at pH 4 and pH 7 using water-soluble star-like polyacrylamide polymers with a dextran core. In the first approach, a solution comprising a neutral or ionomer polymer was mixed with a [...] Read more.

We explored two approaches to recover uranium and plutonium from aqueous solutions at pH 4 and pH 7 using water-soluble star-like polyacrylamide polymers with a dextran core. In the first approach, a solution comprising a neutral or ionomer polymer was mixed with a radionuclide solution to form polymer–metal complexes that were then retained by ultrafiltration (UF) membranes under applied pressure. The same polymers were first deposited on the membrane in the second approach using pressure-driven flow. The applied polymers had an overall diameter of gyration of 120 nm, which exceeded the nominal diameter of the UF membrane pores. The polymers showed a high affinity to uranyl but could also be used to extract Pu from neutral or near-neutral pH solutions. Direct-flow single-step filtration and alpha spectrometry demonstrated that the UF membranes containing star-like copolymers could recover 99% of U and up to 60% of Pu from deionized water after filtering 15 mL solutions containing 25 ppm and 33 ppb of the actinides, correspondingly. The sorption capacity of the polymers for uranium could be measured as 1mg U per mg of the polymer after six subsequent filtration steps. Alpha spectroscopy of the deposited actinides revealed peculiarities of the structural organization of polymers and their complexes with U or Pu, depending on the approach. Though both approaches were efficient, the second approach (deposition of the polymer on the membrane followed by filtration) has an additional advantage of protecting the membrane pores from capillary collapse by filling them with the polymer chains. Therefore, these polymer-modified membranes could be used either in continuous or multi-step filtration process with drying after each step without deterioration of their sorption characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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13 pages, 3754 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sandwich-Structured Flexible PVA/CS@MWCNTs Composite Films with High Thermal Conductivity and Excellent Electrical Insulation

by Fanghua Luo, Chen Ma, Yuhui Tang, Lintao Zhou, Youpeng Ding and Guohua Chen

Polymers 2022, 14(12), 2512; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14122512 - 20 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1753

Abstract

High thermal conductivity polymer matrix composites have become an urgent need for the thermal management of modern electronic devices. However, increasing the thermal conductivity of polymer-based composites typically results in loss of lightweight, flexibility and electrical insulation. Herein, the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/PVA-chitosan-adsorbed multi-walled [...] Read more.

High thermal conductivity polymer matrix composites have become an urgent need for the thermal management of modern electronic devices. However, increasing the thermal conductivity of polymer-based composites typically results in loss of lightweight, flexibility and electrical insulation. Herein, the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/PVA-chitosan-adsorbed multi-walled carbon nanotubes/PVA (PVA/CS@MWCNTs) composite films with a sandwich structure were designed and fabricated by a self-construction strategy inspired by the surface film formation of milk. The obtained film simultaneously possesses high thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and excellent flexibility. In this particular structure, the uniform intermediate layer of PVA-CS@MWCNTs contributed to improving the thermal conductivity of composite films, and the PVA distributed on both sides of the sandwich structure maintains the electrical insulation of the films (superior electrical resistivity above 10¹² Ω·cm). It has been demonstrated that the fillers could be arranged in a horizontal direction during the scraping process. Thus, the obtained composite film exhibited high in-plane thermal conductivity of 5.312 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ at fairly low MWCNTs loading of 5 wt%, which increased by about 1190% compared with pure PVA (0.412 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹). This work effectively realizes the combination of high thermal conductivity and excellent electrical insulation, which could greatly expand the application of polymer-based composite films in the area of thermal management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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20 pages, 11596 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Novel Ultraviolet Absorbers and Preparation and Field Application of Anti-Ultraviolet Aging PBAT/UVA Films

by Run-Meng Qiao, Chi-Peng Zhao, Jia-Lei Liu, Mao-Lin Zhang and Wen-Qing He

Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1434; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14071434 - 31 Mar 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3022

Abstract

Poly-(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) has become one of the most prevalent biodegradable plastic film materials owing to its good degradability, mechanical properties, and processability. However, the degradation time of this material was too fast and the functional period was short, which limited its application. [...] Read more.

Poly-(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) has become one of the most prevalent biodegradable plastic film materials owing to its good degradability, mechanical properties, and processability. However, the degradation time of this material was too fast and the functional period was short, which limited its application. Herein, three new tropolone-based UV absorbers (UVA-1C, UVA-4C and UVA-6C) were rationally designed and blended into PBAT. The PBAT/UVA films that formed were used against UV aging and prolonged the functional period of PBAT film. The three new absorbers were synthesized by bridging two tropolones using three different organic chains with different flexibility. Among them, the UVA-6C showed the strongest UV absorbance at around 238 nm and 320 nm. Consequently, the PBAT/UVA-6C film showed an extended validity period of 240 h in the Xenon lamp aging machine and a prolonged functional period of 8 d during the field application test when compared to pure PBAT. More importantly, a 7.8% increase in the maize yield was obtained under PBAT/UVA-6C film relative to pure PBAT film. Obviously, the novel prepared UVA-6C compound is a good candidate for UV absorption in PBAT, which makes PBAT/UVA-6C film more advantageous over pure PBAT in practical applications as biodegradable agricultural film. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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10 pages, 2196 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of KI Concentration in Correcting Tank on Optical Properties of PVA Polarizing Film

by Yang Yang, Ziyuan Zheng, Jun Lin, Lintao Zhou and Guohua Chen

Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1413; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14071413 - 30 Mar 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1931

Abstract

Polarizer is a key component of the liquid crystal display panel, and the optical properties mainly include transmittance, degree of polarization and chromaticity. Polarizer is made of a multilayer optical film, in which the PVA polarizing film is the core structure for realizing [...] Read more.

Polarizer is a key component of the liquid crystal display panel, and the optical properties mainly include transmittance, degree of polarization and chromaticity. Polarizer is made of a multilayer optical film, in which the PVA polarizing film is the core structure for realizing the polarization of the whole polarizer. PVA polarizing film is commonly manufactured through a multi-step craft, including rinsing, dyeing, stretching and correcting. The correction process has a significant impact on the final apparent color and optical properties of the polarizer. In this study, the KI concentration in the correcting tank, ranging from 1% to 3%, was systematically investigated. With the increase in KI concentration, the Raman vibration peak at 160 cm⁻¹ representing

I_{5}^{-}

ions gradually weakened, while the Raman vibration peak at 110 cm⁻¹ representing

I_{3}^{-}

ions gradually increased, indicating that the KI in the correcting tank changed the chemical equilibrium of polyiodide ions in PVA. Then abundant chromophore

I_{5}^{-}

ions were consumed and

I_{3}^{-}

ions generated, so that the apparent color of PVA polarizing film gradually changed from dark blue to dark gray, and the chromaticity a-value and b-value gradually increased. The change in the concentration of dichroic species (

I_{5}^{-}

and

I_{3}^{-}

) in PVA polarizing film had directly affected its transmittance in the visible range. From the UV-Vis transmittance spectrum of PVA polarizing film, when the

I_{5}^{-}

ions were consumed and

I_{3}^{-}

ions generated, the transmittance of PVA polarizing film in the region of 675–525 nm wavelength increased gradually while the polarization degree also increased. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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16 pages, 2491 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Performance Polyurethane Nanocomposite Membranes Containing Cellulose Nanocrystals for Protein Separation

by Víctor-Hugo Antolín-Cerón, Francisco-Jesús González-López, Pablo Daniel Astudillo-Sánchez, Karla-Alejandra Barrera-Rivera and Antonio Martínez-Richa

Polymers 2022, 14(4), 831; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14040831 - 21 Feb 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2186

Abstract

With the aim of exploring new materials and properties, we report the synthesis of a thermoplastic chain extended polyurethane membrane, with superior strength and toughness, obtained by incorporating two different concentrations of reactive cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) for potential use in kidney dialysis. Membrane [...] Read more.

With the aim of exploring new materials and properties, we report the synthesis of a thermoplastic chain extended polyurethane membrane, with superior strength and toughness, obtained by incorporating two different concentrations of reactive cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) for potential use in kidney dialysis. Membrane nanocomposites were prepared by the phase inversion method and their structure and properties were determined. These materials were prepared from a polyurethane (PU) yielded from poly(1,4 butylene adipate) as a soft segment diol, isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) as isocyanate and chain extender, respectively (hard segment), filled with 1 or 2% w/w CNC. Membrane preparation was made by the phase inversion method using N,N-dimethylformamide as solvent and water as nonsolvent, and subjected to dead-end microfiltration. Membranes were evaluated by their pure water flux, water content, hydraulic resistance and protein rejection. Polymers and nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electronic and optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy, strain stress testing and ¹³C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance. The most remarkable effects observed by the addition of CNCs are (i) a substantial increment in Young’s modulus to twenty-two times compared with the neat PU and (ii) a marked increase in pure water flux up to sixty times, for sample containing 1% (w/w) of CNC. We found that nanofiller has a strong affinity to soft segment diol, which crystallizes in the presence of CNCs, developing both superior mechanical and pure water flow properties, compared to neat PU. The presence of nanofiller also modifies PU intermolecular interactions and consequently the nature of membrane pores. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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19 pages, 3885 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mixed Matrix Membranes for Efficient CO₂ Separation Using an Engineered UiO-66 MOF in a Pebax Polymer

by Asmaul Husna, Iqubal Hossain, Insu Jeong and Tae-Hyun Kim

Polymers 2022, 14(4), 655; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14040655 - 09 Feb 2022

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4396

Abstract

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) have attracted significant attention for overcoming the limitations of traditional polymeric membranes for gas separation through the improvement of both permeability and selectivity. However, the development of defect-free MMMs remains challenging due to the poor compatibility of the metal–organic [...] Read more.

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) have attracted significant attention for overcoming the limitations of traditional polymeric membranes for gas separation through the improvement of both permeability and selectivity. However, the development of defect-free MMMs remains challenging due to the poor compatibility of the metal–organic framework (MOF) with the polymer matrix. Thus, we report a surface-modification strategy for a MOF through grafting of a polymer with intrinsic microporosity onto the surface of UiO-66-NH₂. This method allows us to engineer the MOF–polymer interface in the MMMs using Pebax as a support. The insertion of a PIM structure onto the surface of UiO-66-NH₂ provides additional molecular transport channels and enhances the CO₂ transport by increasing the compatibility between the polymer and fillers for efficient gas separation. As a result, MMM with 1 wt% loading of PIM-grafted-MOF (PIM-g-MOF) exhibited very promising separation performance, with CO₂ permeability of 247 Barrer and CO₂/N₂ selectivity of 56.1, which lies on the 2008 Robeson upper bound. Moreover, this MMM has excellent anti-aging properties for up to 240 days and improved mechanical properties (yield stress of 16.08 MPa, Young’s modulus of 1.61 GPa, and 596.5% elongation at break). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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13 pages, 4026 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemically Dual-Modified Biochar for the Effective Removal of Cr(VI) in Solution

by Juanjuan Yang, Yu Song, Yan Yue, Wenfei Liu, Quande Che, Honglei Chen and Hongfang Ma

Polymers 2022, 14(1), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14010039 - 23 Dec 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2339

Abstract

Here, a dual-modification strategy using KMnO₄ (potassium permanganate) and AlCl₃·6H₂O (aluminum chloride, hexahydrate) as co-modifiers to improve the Cr(VI) removal capacity of K₂CO₃ activated biochar is introduced. As a result, the dual-modified biochar with KMnO [...] Read more.

Here, a dual-modification strategy using KMnO₄ (potassium permanganate) and AlCl₃·6H₂O (aluminum chloride, hexahydrate) as co-modifiers to improve the Cr(VI) removal capacity of K₂CO₃ activated biochar is introduced. As a result, the dual-modified biochar with KMnO₄ and AlCl₃·6H₂O has the calculated adsorption energy of −0.52 eV and −1.64 eV for HCrO₄⁻, and −0.21 eV and −2.01 eV for Cr₂O₇²⁻. The Al₂O₃ (aluminum oxide) and MnO (manganese oxide) embedded on the surface of dual-modified biochar bring more Cr(VI) absorption sites comparing to single-modified biochar, resulting in a maximum Cr(VI) saturated adsorption capacity of 152.86 mg g⁻¹. The excellent removal performance is due to the synthetic effect of electrostatic attraction, reduction reaction, complexation reaction, and physical adsorption. The experimental results also indicated that the spontaneous adsorption process agreed well with the pseudo-second order and Langmuir models. This dual-modification strategy is not limited to the treatment of Cr(VI) with biochar, and may also be incorporated with the treatment of other heavy metals in aqueous environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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15 pages, 2805 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Membranes for Cation Transport Based on Dendronized Poly(Epichlorohydrin-Co-Ethylene Oxide). Part 2: Membrane Characterization and Transport Properties

by Alireza Zare, Xavier Montané, José Antonio Reina and Marta Giamberini

Polymers 2021, 13(22), 3915; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13223915 - 12 Nov 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1442

Abstract

In this paper, we report on the preparation and characterization of membranes out of two side-chain liquid crystalline copolymers, dendronized at two different extents (20 and 40%, CP20 and CP40, respectively). The membranes were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), field-emission scanning electron [...] Read more.

In this paper, we report on the preparation and characterization of membranes out of two side-chain liquid crystalline copolymers, dendronized at two different extents (20 and 40%, CP20 and CP40, respectively). The membranes were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), contact angle (CA) analysis, and water uptake. Moreover, transport properties were studied by methanol and proton conductivity experiment and by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). For the sake of comparison, the behavior of the grafted copolymers was compared with the unmodified copolyether CP0 and with Nafion 117. Results demonstrated that in CP20 and CP40, cation transport depends on the presence of defined cationic channels, not affected by water presence; the comparison between LSV experiments performed with different alkaline cations suggests that CP40 possesses channels with larger diameters and better-defined inner structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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18 pages, 3665 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modification of Sulfonated Polyethersulfone Membrane as a Selective Adsorbent for Co(II) Ions

by Gadeer R. Ashour, Mahmoud A. Hussein, Tariq R. Sobahi, Khalid A. Alamry, Sara A. Alqarni and Mohd Rafatullah

Polymers 2021, 13(20), 3569; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13203569 - 16 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2001

Abstract

In the current study, a variety of sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES)-based ion-exchange membranes were prepared and utilized as efficient and selective solid adsorbents for the detection of Co(II) ions in aquatic solutions. SPES membranes were treated with a variety of cations at a 2:1 [...] Read more.

In the current study, a variety of sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES)-based ion-exchange membranes were prepared and utilized as efficient and selective solid adsorbents for the detection of Co(II) ions in aquatic solutions. SPES membranes were treated with a variety of cations at a 2:1 ratio overnight. The produced materials were assessed via XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and TGA analyses. The structure of these materials was confirmed by FT-IR and XRD, which also confirmed the inclusion of Na⁺, NH₄⁺, and amberlite on the SPES surface successfully. TGA analysis showed that the thermal stabilities of these materials were enhanced, and the order of stability was NH₄-SPES > SPES > Na-SPES > A-SPES. Furthermore, the efficiency of these modified membranes for the determination and adsorption of a variety of metal ions was also examined by the ICP-OES analytical technique. A-SPES expressed a powerful efficiency of adsorption, and it showed an efficient as well as quantitative adsorption at pH = 6. Moreover, A-SPES displayed the highest adsorption capacity of 90.13 mg/g for Co(II) through the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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19 pages, 3594 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Membranes for Cation Transport Based on Dendronized Poly(epichlorohydrin-co-ethylene oxide). Part 1: The Effect of Dendron Amount and Column Orientation on Copolymer Mobility

by Alireza Zare, Borja Pascual-Jose, Silvia De la Flor, Amparo Ribes-Greus, Xavier Montané, José Antonio Reina and Marta Giamberini

Polymers 2021, 13(20), 3532; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13203532 - 14 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1493

Abstract

Dendronized polyethers give rise to columnar LC structures which can successfully act as cation transport materials. Therefore, we prepared two different materials, based on Poly(epichlorohydrin-co-ethylene oxide) (PECH-co-EO) grafted with methyl 3,4,5-tris[4-(n-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzyloxy] benzoate, containing 20% or 40% modified units, respectively. The obtained polymers were [...] Read more.

Dendronized polyethers give rise to columnar LC structures which can successfully act as cation transport materials. Therefore, we prepared two different materials, based on Poly(epichlorohydrin-co-ethylene oxide) (PECH-co-EO) grafted with methyl 3,4,5-tris[4-(n-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzyloxy] benzoate, containing 20% or 40% modified units, respectively. The obtained polymers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy between crossed polars (POM) and compared to the unmodified PECH-co-EO. In order to reach efficient transport properties, homeotropically oriented membranes were prepared by a fine-tuned thermal annealing treatment and were subsequently investigated by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and dielectric thermal analysis (DETA). We found that the presence of the dendrons induces a main chain partial crystallization of the polyether chain and coherently increases the polymer Tg. This effect is more evident in the oriented membranes. As for copolymer orientation upon annealing, the cooling rate and the annealing temperature were the most crucial factors. DMTA and DETA confirmed that grafting with the dendron strongly hinders copolymer motions, but did not show great differences between unoriented and oriented membranes, regardless of the amount of dendrons. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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Review

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 2698 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Progress of Light Wavelength Conversion Materials and Their Applications in Functional Agricultural Films

by Yi Liu, Zhiguo Gui and Jialei Liu

Polymers 2022, 14(5), 851; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14050851 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3337

Abstract

As new fluorescent materials, light wavelength conversion materials (light conversion agents) have attracted increasing attention from scientific researchers and agricultural materials companies due to their potential advantages in efficiently utilizing solar energy and increasing crop yield. According to the material properties, the light [...] Read more.

As new fluorescent materials, light wavelength conversion materials (light conversion agents) have attracted increasing attention from scientific researchers and agricultural materials companies due to their potential advantages in efficiently utilizing solar energy and increasing crop yield. According to the material properties, the light conversion agents can be divided into fluorescent dyes, organic rare-earth complexes, and inorganic rare-earth complexes. The current researches indicates that the fluorescent dyes have relatively high production costs, poor light stability, difficult degradation processes, and easily cause pollution to the ecological environment. The organic rare-earth complexes have short luminescence times, high production costs, and suffer from rapid decreases in luminescence intensity. Compared with fluorescent dyes and organic rare-earth complexes, although rare-earth inorganic complexes have high luminous efficiency, stable chemical properties, and better spectral matching performance, the existing inorganic light conversion agents have relatively poor dispersibility in agricultural films. According to the research on light conversion agents at home and abroad in recent years, this paper first introduces the three common light conversion agents, namely fluorescent dyes, organic rare-earth complexes, and inorganic rare-earth complexes, as well as their uses in agricultural films and their mechanisms of light conversion. At the same time, the preparation methods, advantages, disadvantages, and existing problems of various light conversion agents are classified and explained. Finally, we predict the development trends for light conversion agents in the future by considering six aspects, namely efficiency, cost, compatibility with greenhouse films, light matching, and light transmittance, in order to provide a reference for the preparation of stable and efficient light conversion agent materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Performance Polymer Membranes)

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