Carbon Nanotube Membranes: Synthesis, Properties, and Future Filtration Applications

Abstract

Over the course of the past decade, there has been growing interest in the development of different types of membranes composed of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), including buckypapers and composite materials, for an ever-widening range of filtration applications. This article provides an overview of how different types of CNT membranes are prepared and the results obtained from investigations into their suitability for different applications. The latter involve the removal of small particles from air samples, the filtration of aqueous solutions containing organic compounds and/or bacteria, and the separation of individual liquids present in mixtures. A growing number of reports have demonstrated that the incorporation of CNTs into composite membranes confers an improved resistance to fouling caused by biomacromolecules and bacteria. These results are discussed, along with evidence that demonstrates it is possible to further reduce fouling by taking advantage of the inherent conductivity of composite membranes containing CNTs, as well as by using different types of electrochemical stimuli.

Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube Arrays with High Aspect Ratio via Ni-Catalyzed Pyrolysis of Waste Polyethylene

“…The magnetic separation properties and the specific surface areas make the as-obtained CNTs an ideal absorbent to remove organic dye pollutants from water [ 34 , 35 ], and the relationship between the absorbent concentrations and removal efficiency of the CNTs is discussed. The adsorption capacities of the as-obtained CNTs for MB were identified by UV-Vis and are shown in Figure 11 .…”

The Importance of Evaluating the Lot-to-Lot Batch Consistency of Commercial Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Products

“…The unique physicochemical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) lend themselves to a variety of industrial and biomedical applications (for recent reviews, see [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]). However, there are environmental health and safety (EH&S) concerns associated with MWNTs because of consistent reports that they can be toxic (for recent reviews, see [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]).…”

Understanding Heteroatom-Mediated Metal–Support Interactions in Functionalized Carbons: A Perspective Review

“…Nowadays, the family of low-dimensional carbon allotropes includes numerous members [6], supporting a wide range of applications from electronics [7] to medicine [8], from optics [9] to environment protection [10], from energy storage [11][12][13][14] to catalysis [15]. While the synthesis strategies as well as the key structural features have already been extensively investigated, the focus has now shifted toward tuning the textural and electronic properties of these materials to optimize their performances in the pursuit of technological progress and manufacturing efficiency.…”