Green Layer-by-Layer Method for the Preparation of Polyacrylonitrile-Supported Zinc Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic Acid Membranes

Abstract

Ultrafiltration-level polyacrylonitrile (PAN) flat sheet membranes were chemically modified through cross-linking and hydrolysis to provide a suitable surface for the growth of a selective layer composed of a Zn benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (Zn(BDC)) metal-organic framework (MOF). Unlike typical membrane modification methods or conventional MOF synthesis procedures, deionized (DI) water was the only solvent used for each of the modification steps. To better understand the layer-by-layer MOF growth process, several MOF growth conditions were also studied, including the effects of solution concentration, growth temperature, membrane immersion time and the number of layers. Subsequently, organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) was used to test the effectiveness of the modifications and compare the performances of the fabricated membranes. With the appropriate combination of the MOF growth conditions, the layer-by-layer method was used to produce an OSN membrane with an isopropanol permeance of 2.39 L m^-2 h^-1 bar^-1 and an 86 % rejection of the dye Brilliant Blue R (M_w 825.97 g mol^-1 ).

Keywords: Membranes; Metal-organic framework; Nanotechnology; Organic solvent nanofiltration; Polymers.