The
development of science and technology is accompanied by a complex
composition of multiple pollutants. Conventional passive separation
processes are not sufficient for current industrial applications.
The advent of active or responsive separation methods has become highly
essential for future applications. In this work, we demonstrate the
preparation of a smart electrically responsive membrane, a poly(vinylidene
difluoride) (PVDF)–graphene composite membrane. The high graphene
content induces the self-assembly of PVDF with a high β-phase
content, which displays a unique self-piezoelectric property. Additionally,
the membrane exhibits excellent electrical conductivity and unique
capacitive properties, and the resultant nanochannels in the membrane
can be reversibly adjusted by external voltage applications, resulting
in the tailored gas selectivity of a single membrane. After the application
of voltage to the membrane, the permeability and selectivity toward
carbon dioxide increase simultaneously. Moreover, atomic-level positron
annihilation spectroscopic studies reveal the piezoelectric effect
on the free volume of the membrane, which helps us to formulate a
gas permeation mechanism for the electrically responsive membrane.
Overall, the novel active membrane separation process proposed in
this work opens new avenues for the development of a new generation
of responsive membranes.
This review provides an overview of recent advances and developments in electrospinning technology and the recent progress and applications of electrospun nanofiber membranes to expel various pollutants from water.
Graphene possesses a set of unique physicochemical properties including exceptional mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, making it an excellent candidate for constructing materials for a wide range of applications including...
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