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Novel Polymeric Fibrous Membrane Materials: Synthesis, Modification and Application

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2023) | Viewed by 14225

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jingge Ju

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Guest Editor

School of Textile Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, No. 399 BinShuiXi Road, XiQing District, Tianjin 300387, China
Interests: electrospinning; nanofiber; membrane distillation; separator
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Liyuan Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
Interests: membrane separator; proton exchange membranes; membrane struture design; battery materials; polymer electrolytes; electrochemistry; lithium–ion batteries; fuel cells
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the development of membrane science, various novel polymeric membranes with different functions have been successfully developed in recent years. The novel polymeric membrane designed into the fibrous structure can be expected to maintain the properties of the polymer itself and meanwhile obtain extra advantages on a fibrous structure (well-defined porosities, high specific surface areas, etc.), which further expand the application of these novel polymeric membranes (such as separation membranes, tissue engineering scaffolds, and energy storage). However, extensive knowledge existing on how to ‘tailor’ a fibrous membrane structure including surface properties and cross-section morphology by the selection of appropriate fabrication and modification methods need to be further discussed. Therefore, there is a growing urgency to develop and modify novel polymeric fibrous membrane materials and investigate their properties and application potentials.

We are pleased to invite you to submit your latest results (research articles and reviews) in the Special Issue on “Novel Polymeric Fibrous Membrane Materials: Synthesis, Modification and Application” of the journal Membranes. This Special Issue is looking for contributions to assess the state of the art and future developments in the field of novel polymeric fibrous membrane materials. The relevant topics include (but are not limited to) the following: the designation of the membrane structure, preparation methods, modification, and new applications of novel polymeric fibrous membranes.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jingge Ju
Dr. Liyuan Wang
Guest Editors

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. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

polymer
fiber
fibrous membrane
membrane preparation
membrane modification
porous membrane

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 7334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of PS/PVDF-HFP Multi-Level Structured Micro/Nano Fiber Membranes by One-Step Electrospinning

by Yixia Zhao, Zehao Zhang, Yan Zhang, Yuting Huang, Yanfei Chen, Bofei Chen, Weimin Kang and Jingge Ju

Membranes 2023, 13(10), 807; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13100807 - 22 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1520

Abstract

Recently, the multi-level interwoven structured micro/nano fiber membranes with coarse and fine overlaps have attracted lots of attention due to their advantages of high surface roughness, high porosity, good mechanical strength, etc., but their simple and direct preparation methods still need to be developed. Herein, the multi-level structured micro/nano fiber membranes were prepared novelly and directly by a one-step electrospinning technique based on the principle of micro-phase separation caused by polymer incompatibility using polystyrene (PS) and polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (PVDF-HFP) as raw materials. It was found that different spinning fluid parameters and various spinning process parameters will have a significant impact on its morphology and structures. Under certain conditions (the concentration of spinning solution is 18 wt%, the mass ratio of PS to PVDF-HFP is 1:7, the spinning voltage is 30 kV, and the spinning receiving distance is 18 cm), the PS/PVDF-HFP membrane with optimal multi-level structured micro/nano fiber membranes could be obtained, which present an average pore size of 4.38 ± 0.10 μm, a porosity of 78.9 ± 3.5%, and a water contact angle of 145.84 ± 1.70°. The formation mechanism of micro/nano fiber interwoven structures was proposed through conductivity and viscosity tests. In addition, it was initially used as a separation membrane material in membrane distillation, and its performance was preliminarily explored. This paper provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the research and development of an efficient and feasible method for the preparation of multi-level micro/nano fiber membranes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Polymeric Fibrous Membrane Materials: Synthesis, Modification and Application)

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16 pages, 13547 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Water-Resistant Photo-Crosslinked PEO/PEGDA Electrospun Nanofibers for Application in Catalysis

by Emanuele Maccaferri, Andrea Canciani, Laura Mazzocchetti, Tiziana Benelli, Loris Giorgini and Stefania Albonetti

Membranes 2023, 13(2), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13020212 - 8 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2389

Abstract

Catalysts are used for producing the vast majority of chemical products. Usually, catalytic membranes are inorganic. However, when dealing with reactions conducted at low temperatures, such as in the production of fine chemicals, polymeric catalytic membranes are preferred due to a more competitive cost and easier tunability compared to inorganic ones. In the present work, nanofibrous mats made of poly(ethylene oxide), PEO, and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate, PEGDA, blends with the Au/Pd catalyst are proposed as catalytic membranes for water phase and low-temperature reactions. While PEO is a water-soluble polymer, its blending with PEGDA can be exploited to make the overall PEO/PEGDA blend nanofibers water-resistant upon photo-crosslinking. Thus, after the optimization of the blend solution (PEO molecular weight, PEO/PEGDA ratio, photoinitiator amount), electrospinning process, and UV irradiation time, the resulting nanofibrous mat is able to maintain the nanostructure in water. The addition of the Au₆/Pd₁ catalyst (supported on TiO₂) in the PEO/PEGDA blend allows the production of a catalytic nanofibrous membrane. The reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP), taken as a water phase model reaction, demonstrates the potential usage of PEO-based membranes in catalysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Polymeric Fibrous Membrane Materials: Synthesis, Modification and Application)

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11 pages, 2119 KiB

Open AccessArticle

N-Doped HNT/TiO₂ Nanocomposite by Electrospinning for Acetaminophen Degradation

by Mahmoud Abid, Elissa Makhoul, Fida Tanos, Igor Iatsunskyi, Emerson Coy, Geoffroy Lesage, Marc Cretin, David Cornu, Abdesslem Ben Haj Amara and Mikhael Bechelany

Membranes 2023, 13(2), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13020204 - 7 Feb 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1280

Abstract

In this study, we combined electrospinning of a large amount of halloysite (HNT, 95%) with nitriding to produce N-HNT-TiO₂ composite nanofibers (N-H95T5 hereafter) to be used for acetaminophen (ACT) photodegradation. Investigation of the morphological and structural properties of the obtained materials did not highlight any significant difference in their morphological features and confirmed that nitrogen was evenly distributed in the samples. Photocatalytic tests under visible light showed that acetaminophen photodegraded faster in the presence of samples with nitrogen (N-H95T5) than without (H95T5 nanofibers). Moreover, the N-H95T5 nanocomposite photocatalytic activity did not change after repeated utilization (five cycles). The addition of scavengers during photocatalytic tests showed the key implication of OH^•−, O₂^•− and h⁺ radicals in acetaminophen degradation. These results indicated that N–H95T5 composite nanofibers could be considered a cheap multifunctional material for photodegradation and could open new prospects for preparing tunable photocatalysts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Polymeric Fibrous Membrane Materials: Synthesis, Modification and Application)

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14 pages, 8527 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Double-Layer MWCNTs@HPPS Photothermal Paper for Water Purification with Strong Acid-Alkali Corrosion Resistance

by Yuan Gao, Guoqing Jin, Shuaishuai Wang, Lihua Lyu, Chunyan Wei and Xinghai Zhou

Membranes 2022, 12(12), 1208; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12121208 - 29 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1276

Abstract

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology has been identified as a promising method to relieve the global water crisis, and it is particularly important to design an ideal structure of the solar thermal conversion evaporation device. In this paper, hydrophilic polyphenylene sulfide (HPPS) paper with loose structure and appropriate water transmission performance was designed as the based-material, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) layer with excellent photothermal conversion performance was constructed to realize the high-efficiency solar-driven evaporation. Under tail swabbing mode, the cold evaporation surface on the back of the evaporator greatly improved the evaporation rate, cut off the heat transfer channel to bulk water, and achieved the maximum evaporation rate of 1.23 L/m²·h. Ethyl cellulose (EC) was introduced to adjust the water supply performance of HPPS layer, and a large specific surface area of cold evaporation was obtained, thus improving the water evaporation rate. In the simulation experiment of seawater desalination and dye wastewater treatment, it showed good water purification capacity and acid/alkali-resistance, which had great practical application significance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Polymeric Fibrous Membrane Materials: Synthesis, Modification and Application)

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Graphical abstract

12 pages, 3331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Actuation Properties of Polyurethane Fiber Membranes Filled with PEG-SWNTs Dielectric Microcapsules

by Gang Lu, Changgeng Shuai, Yinsong Liu and Xue Yang

Membranes 2022, 12(10), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12101026 - 21 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1403

Abstract

Polyurethane dielectric elastomer (PUDE), a typical representative of emerging intelligent materials, has advantages, such as good elasticity and flexibility, fast response speed, high electromechanical conversion efficiency, and strong environmental tolerance. It has promising applications in underwater bionic actuators, but its electromechanical properties should be improved further. In this context, the design of polyethylene glycol (PEG) single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNTs) dielectric microcapsules was adopted to balance the problem of contradictions, which conventional dielectric modification methods face between comprehensive properties (e.g., dielectric properties and modulus). Moreover, the dielectric microcapsule was evenly filled into the polyurethane fiber by coaxial spinning technology to enhance the actuation performance and instability of the electrical breakdown threshold of conventional polyurethane dielectric modification. It was revealed that the dielectric microcapsules were oriented in the polyurethane fiber, and the actuation performance of the composite fiber membrane was significantly better than that of the polyurethane fiber membrane filled with SWNTs, thus confirming that the filling design of the dielectric microcapsules in polyurethane fiber could have certain technical advantages. On that basis, this study provides a novel idea for the dielectric modification of polyurethane. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Polymeric Fibrous Membrane Materials: Synthesis, Modification and Application)

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18 pages, 7836 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polyphenylene Sulfide Ultrafine Viscous Fibrous Membrane Modified by ZIF-8 for Highly Effective Oil/Water Separation under High Salt or Alkaline Conditions

by Wenlei Liu, Lingli Yu, Xianfeng Cui, Ce Tan, Mengen Zhang, Di Wu, Zhenhuan Li and Maliang Zhang

Membranes 2022, 12(10), 1017; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12101017 - 20 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2033

Abstract

The oil/water separation in harsh environments has always been a challenging topic all over the world. In this study, the ZIF-8/PPS fiber membranes were fabricated via the combination of hot pressing and in situ growth. The distribution of ZIF-8 in the membranes was adjusted by changing the ZIF-8 in situ growth time, which could control the oil/water separation effect. Due to the hydrophilic nature of the ZIF-8/PPS fiber membranes, the water molecules in the oil-in-water emulsion could quickly penetrate into the fiber membrane under the drive of pressure, gravity, and capillary force, forming a water layer on the surface of the fiber membranes. The coupling of the water layer and the fiber structure prevented direct contact between the oil molecules and the fiber membrane, thereby realizing the separation of the emulsion. The results show that when the ZIF-8 in situ growth time was 10 h, the contact angle, the porosity, and the pure water flux of the ZIF-8/PPS fiber membranes were 72.5°, 52.3%, and 12,351 L/h·m², respectively. More importantly, the separation efficiency of M10 was 97%, and the oil/water separation efficiency reached 95% after 14 cycles. This study provides a novel strategy for preparing MOFs/fiber materials for oil/water separation in harsh environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Polymeric Fibrous Membrane Materials: Synthesis, Modification and Application)

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Review

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23 pages, 5198 KiB

Open AccessReview

Polyphenylene Sulfide-Based Membranes: Recent Progress and Future Perspectives

by Yuan Gao, Xinghai Zhou, Maliang Zhang, Lihua Lyu and Zhenhuan Li

Membranes 2022, 12(10), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12100924 - 24 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3574

Abstract

As a special engineering plastic, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) can also be used to prepare membranes for membrane separation processes, adsorption, and catalytic and battery separators because of its unique properties, such as corrosion resistance, and chemical and thermal stability. Nowadays, many researchers have developed various types of PPS membranes, such as the PPS flat membrane, PPS microfiber membrane and PPS hollow fiber membrane, and have even achieved special functional modifications. In this review, the synthesis and modification of PPS resin, the formation of PPS membrane and the research progress of functional modification methods are systematically introduced, and the future perspective of PPS membrane is discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Polymeric Fibrous Membrane Materials: Synthesis, Modification and Application)

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