Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising materials for fabrication of defect-free membranes due to their compatibility with polymers. However, harsh synthesis conditions and the use of toxic reagents hinder their practical applications. In this work, a green in-situ interfacial polymerization strategy was developed to fabricate COF/HPAN composite membranes, with ethyl acetate (EA) used as a solvent to replace toxic dichloromethane (DCM). A self-standing COF membrane was prepared via the Schiff-base reaction of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxaldehyde (TFB), and its crystal structure was characterized to confirm successful synthesis. The resulting membranes demonstrated ultrahigh permeability (462.8 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) at a low operating pressure (1 bar), 99% rejection for Congo Red (CR), Methyl Blue (MB) and Methylene Blue (MeB), low rejection of salts (less than 20% for NaCl, MgCl2, MgSO4 and Na2SO4), and excellent antifouling performance (a flux recovery rate of 98.7%). This study provides a sustainable strategy for efficient dye/salt separation, which sets an important benchmark for the preparation of next-generation green nanofiltration membranes for industrial applications.
Zhao, P., Hou, Y., Chen, W., Liu, W., Shen, Y., Guo, S., et al. (2025). Green-synthesized covalent organic framework membranes for low-pressure high-flux applications. MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY, 50, 1-10 [10.1016/j.mtchem.2025.103170].
Green-synthesized covalent organic framework membranes for low-pressure high-flux applications
D'Agostino C.Ultimo
2025
Abstract
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising materials for fabrication of defect-free membranes due to their compatibility with polymers. However, harsh synthesis conditions and the use of toxic reagents hinder their practical applications. In this work, a green in-situ interfacial polymerization strategy was developed to fabricate COF/HPAN composite membranes, with ethyl acetate (EA) used as a solvent to replace toxic dichloromethane (DCM). A self-standing COF membrane was prepared via the Schiff-base reaction of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxaldehyde (TFB), and its crystal structure was characterized to confirm successful synthesis. The resulting membranes demonstrated ultrahigh permeability (462.8 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) at a low operating pressure (1 bar), 99% rejection for Congo Red (CR), Methyl Blue (MB) and Methylene Blue (MeB), low rejection of salts (less than 20% for NaCl, MgCl2, MgSO4 and Na2SO4), and excellent antifouling performance (a flux recovery rate of 98.7%). This study provides a sustainable strategy for efficient dye/salt separation, which sets an important benchmark for the preparation of next-generation green nanofiltration membranes for industrial applications.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
