Fabrication and Water Treatment Application of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)-Based Composite Membranes: A Review
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Fabrication, Growth and Characterization of CNTs
2.1. Fabrication Methods
2.2. Growth Mechanisms
2.3. CNTs Characterizations
3. Fabrication Methods of CNTs-Based Composite Membranes
3.1. Functionalization of CNTs
3.2. Fabrication Methods
3.2.1. CVD Method
3.2.2. Blending Method
3.2.3. In Situ Polymerization Method
3.2.4. Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly Method
3.2.5. Direct Coating Method
4. Water Treatment Applications
4.1. Water Desalination
4.2. Oil-Water Separation
4.3. Heavy Metal Ions Removal from Wastewater
4.4. Removal of Emerging Pollutants from Wastewater
4.5. Membrane Separation Coupled with Assistant Techniques
5. Summary
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflict of Interest
References
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Characterization Techniques | Major Aims | References |
---|---|---|
SEM | Morphological analysis (diameter, length, defects and purity), arrangement state | [30] |
TEM | Morphological analysis (diameter and defects) Characterization SWCNTs and MWCNTs MWCNTs internal microscopy (number of layers and distance between them) | [30] |
Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) | Elemental composition, functionalization | [31] |
RS | Characterization SWCNTs and MWCNTs Quality and purity SWCNTs mean diameter and chirality | [33] |
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) | Functionalization | [31] |
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) | CNTs diameter, length and purity Dispersion state | [30] |
Fluorescence spectroscopy (FS) | Semiconducting SWCNTs diameter and chirality | [38] |
XPS | Elemental composition, functionalization | [36] |
TG | Purity, functionalization | [37] |
Boehm titration | Number of oxygen-containing functional groups | [39] |
Composite Membranes | Functionalizations | Major Aims | References |
---|---|---|---|
CNTs-mullite | HNO3 | Incorporate acidic functional groups Decrease impurities Increase membrane performances | [47] |
CNTs-AAO | H2O2 | Incorporate functional groups Increase hydrophilicity | [48] |
CNTs-PES | H2SO4:HNO3 (3:1) | Incorporate functional groups Shorten the length of CNTs Increase CNTs dispersion and interfacial bonding | [46] |
CNTs-PA | O3 | Increase sidewall functionalities Shorten the length of CNTs Increase CNTs dispersion Reduce biofouling | [49] |
CNTs-PVA | Chitosan | Intact structure of CNTs Increase CNTs dispersion Improve the packing structure | [50] |
CNTs-polyetherimide | Surfactant | Incorporate surfactants Intact structure of CNTs Enhance membrane thermal stability and mechanical strength | [45] |
Properties | CVD | CVD- Template | Blending | In situ Polymerization | LBL Assembly | Direct Coating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Membrane materials | Inorganic | Inorganic | Polymeric | Polymeric | Polymeric | Inorganic or polymeric |
Interfacial bond | In situ growth | In situ growth | Hydrogen bonding, Van der Waals forces, etc. | Covalent bonds | Covalent bonds, electrostatic, etc. | Covalent bonds |
Arrangement state | Aligned or random | Aligned | Random | Aligned or random | Aligned or random | Random |
Stability | Excellent stability | Excellent stability | Good stability | Poor mechanical stability | Good stability | Good stability |
Defects | Impurities | Impurities | Difficulty in dispersion | Poor stability | Pinholes | Easy detachment |
Membrane area | Limitation to substrate | Limitation to template | No limitation | Small | No limitation | Limitation to substrate |
Membrane thickness and pore size | Controllable | Controllable | Controllable | Controllable | Controllable | Controllable |
Operability | Easy | Complicated | Easy | Complicated | Complicated | Easy |
Practicability | Strong | General | Strong | General | General | Strong |
Membrane Material | Fabrication Method | Application | Membrane Performances | References | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Permeability (L·m−2·h−1·bar−1) | Selectivity | ||||
CNTs-TFC | Phase inversion | RO | 1.2 | 96.1% (2000 ppm NaCl, 20 bar) | [88] |
CNTs-PES | Phase inversion | NF | 9.7 | 87.3% (200 ppm Na2SO4, 4 bar) | [89] |
CNTs-PVDF | Direct coating | NF | 5.0 | 50%–60% (200 ppm Na2SO4, 4 bar) | [90] |
GO coated VA CNTs | CVD | NF | 5.0 | 44.9% (10 mM NaCl, 15.5 bar) | [91] |
PA coated VA CNTs | CVD | NF | 4.0 | 64.8% (10 mM NaCl, 15.5 bar) | [91] |
CNTs-PP | Blending | MD | 36.8 (L·m−2·h−1) | 99.9% (10,000 ppm NaCl) | [92] |
CNTs-PTFE | Blending | MD | 69 (L·m−2·h−1) | (34,000 ppm NaCl) | [93] |
CNTs-PVDF | Blending | MD | 19.1 (L·m−2·h−1) | 93% (88 ppm NaCl and 12 ppm MgSO4) | [65] |
CNTs-YSZ | CVD | MF | 36 | 100% (210 ppm oil emulsion) | [56] |
CNTs-PSF | Phase inversion | UF | 47.5 | 97.4% (287 ppm oil emulsion, 4 bar) | [94] |
CNTs-polystyrene | Photografting | UF | 5000 | >99.9% (oil emulsion) | [95] |
CNTs-ceramic | CVD | Adsorption | 99.9% (12,000 ppm CuCl2) | [96] | |
CNTs-mullite | CVD | UF | 8.1 | 62.9% (100 ppm Ni(NO3)2, 4 bar) | [47] |
CNTs-Al2O3 | CVD | UF | >4.5 | >75% (100 ppm Cu(NO3)2 at pH 6, 4 bar) | [55] |
CNTs-PSF | Phase inversion | UF | 94.2% (1 ppm K2Cr2O7 at pH 2.6, 4.9 bar) | [97] | |
CNTs-PVDF | Direct coating | MF-adsorption | 10%–95% (1 ppm PPCPs) | [98] | |
CNTs-Al2O3 | Direct coating | MF-electrochemistry | 100% (5 ppm phenol, +1.5 V) | [86] | |
CNTs-TiO2/Al2O3 | Direct coating | MF-photocatalysis | 290 | 90% (10 ppm HA, 1 bar) | [99] |
CNTs-AAO | Direct coating | MF-catalytic ozonation | 20%–50% (2 µM p-CBA and 160 µM O3 at pH 7) | [100] |
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Ma, L.; Dong, X.; Chen, M.; Zhu, L.; Wang, C.; Yang, F.; Dong, Y. Fabrication and Water Treatment Application of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)-Based Composite Membranes: A Review. Membranes 2017, 7, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes7010016
Ma L, Dong X, Chen M, Zhu L, Wang C, Yang F, Dong Y. Fabrication and Water Treatment Application of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)-Based Composite Membranes: A Review. Membranes. 2017; 7(1):16. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes7010016
Chicago/Turabian StyleMa, Lining, Xinfa Dong, Mingliang Chen, Li Zhu, Chaoxian Wang, Fenglin Yang, and Yingchao Dong. 2017. "Fabrication and Water Treatment Application of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)-Based Composite Membranes: A Review" Membranes 7, no. 1: 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes7010016