Insights into the role of aromatic cationic surfactants in tailoring interfacial polymerization for high-performance reverse osmosis membranes
Surfactant-mediated interfacial polymerization (IP) has been recognized as a promising strategy for accurately modulation of the structure and performance of polyamide (PA) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. While aromatic cationic surfactants have demonstrated potential in regulating IP processes, the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co. Ltd.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Advanced Membranes |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772823425000314 |
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| author | Jie Gao Yongkai Xu Nanxiang Wang Dingxian Jia Mingjie Wei Shuang Hao Yunxia Hu |
| author_facet | Jie Gao Yongkai Xu Nanxiang Wang Dingxian Jia Mingjie Wei Shuang Hao Yunxia Hu |
| author_sort | Jie Gao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Surfactant-mediated interfacial polymerization (IP) has been recognized as a promising strategy for accurately modulation of the structure and performance of polyamide (PA) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. While aromatic cationic surfactants have demonstrated potential in regulating IP processes, the influence of their molecular structure on IP process and their incorporation integrated into the PA layer remain unexplored. This work systematically investigates two model surfactants—benzalkonium chloride (BAC, single benzene) versus benzethonium chloride (BEC, dual benzene)—as molecular regulators during PA layer formation. The results reveal that both aromatic cationic surfactants facilitate the diffusion of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) from the aqueous to the organic phase, enhancing PA cross-linking, while simultaneously embedding into the PA matrix to modulate surface properties. Notably, BEC, due to its distinctive dual-benzene-ring structure, exhibits a superior ability to accelerate MPD diffusion, triggering more pronounced Marangoni convection during IP, which contributes to a higher leaf-like structure area (0.017 μm2) of the resulting PA layer. Additionally, the strong π–π interaction between BEC and the PA network leads to a high embedding ratio of BEC within the membrane. Consequently, the BEC-regulated RO membranes demonstrate enhanced perm-selectivity, alongside improved antifouling and antibacterial properties. This study presents novel perspectives on the strategic design of cost-effective and high-performance fabrication methods for RO membranes, demonstrating substantial promise for industrial applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-99f98cff6c1d429ca827f7d772a896f0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2772-8234 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advanced Membranes |
| spelling | doaj-art-99f98cff6c1d429ca827f7d772a896f02025-08-20T03:30:04ZengKeAi Communications Co. Ltd.Advanced Membranes2772-82342025-01-01510015710.1016/j.advmem.2025.100157Insights into the role of aromatic cationic surfactants in tailoring interfacial polymerization for high-performance reverse osmosis membranesJie Gao0Yongkai Xu1Nanxiang Wang2Dingxian Jia3Mingjie Wei4Shuang Hao5Yunxia Hu6State Key Laboratory of Advanced Separation Membrane Materials, National Center for International Research on Membrane Science and Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Advanced Separation Membrane Materials, National Center for International Research on Membrane Science and Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Advanced Separation Membrane Materials, National Center for International Research on Membrane Science and Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Advanced Separation Membrane Materials, National Center for International Research on Membrane Science and Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, PR ChinaNJTECH University Suzhou Future Membrane Technology Innovation Center, Suzhou, 215100, PR China; College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Advanced Separation Membrane Materials, National Center for International Research on Membrane Science and Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, PR China; Corresponding author.State Key Laboratory of Advanced Separation Membrane Materials, National Center for International Research on Membrane Science and Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, PR China; Corresponding author.Surfactant-mediated interfacial polymerization (IP) has been recognized as a promising strategy for accurately modulation of the structure and performance of polyamide (PA) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. While aromatic cationic surfactants have demonstrated potential in regulating IP processes, the influence of their molecular structure on IP process and their incorporation integrated into the PA layer remain unexplored. This work systematically investigates two model surfactants—benzalkonium chloride (BAC, single benzene) versus benzethonium chloride (BEC, dual benzene)—as molecular regulators during PA layer formation. The results reveal that both aromatic cationic surfactants facilitate the diffusion of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) from the aqueous to the organic phase, enhancing PA cross-linking, while simultaneously embedding into the PA matrix to modulate surface properties. Notably, BEC, due to its distinctive dual-benzene-ring structure, exhibits a superior ability to accelerate MPD diffusion, triggering more pronounced Marangoni convection during IP, which contributes to a higher leaf-like structure area (0.017 μm2) of the resulting PA layer. Additionally, the strong π–π interaction between BEC and the PA network leads to a high embedding ratio of BEC within the membrane. Consequently, the BEC-regulated RO membranes demonstrate enhanced perm-selectivity, alongside improved antifouling and antibacterial properties. This study presents novel perspectives on the strategic design of cost-effective and high-performance fabrication methods for RO membranes, demonstrating substantial promise for industrial applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772823425000314Aromatic cationic surfactantInterfacial polymerizationReverse osmosis membraneAntifouling performanceSeparation performance |
| spellingShingle | Jie Gao Yongkai Xu Nanxiang Wang Dingxian Jia Mingjie Wei Shuang Hao Yunxia Hu Insights into the role of aromatic cationic surfactants in tailoring interfacial polymerization for high-performance reverse osmosis membranes Advanced Membranes Aromatic cationic surfactant Interfacial polymerization Reverse osmosis membrane Antifouling performance Separation performance |
| title | Insights into the role of aromatic cationic surfactants in tailoring interfacial polymerization for high-performance reverse osmosis membranes |
| title_full | Insights into the role of aromatic cationic surfactants in tailoring interfacial polymerization for high-performance reverse osmosis membranes |
| title_fullStr | Insights into the role of aromatic cationic surfactants in tailoring interfacial polymerization for high-performance reverse osmosis membranes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Insights into the role of aromatic cationic surfactants in tailoring interfacial polymerization for high-performance reverse osmosis membranes |
| title_short | Insights into the role of aromatic cationic surfactants in tailoring interfacial polymerization for high-performance reverse osmosis membranes |
| title_sort | insights into the role of aromatic cationic surfactants in tailoring interfacial polymerization for high performance reverse osmosis membranes |
| topic | Aromatic cationic surfactant Interfacial polymerization Reverse osmosis membrane Antifouling performance Separation performance |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772823425000314 |
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