Large-scale polymeric carbon nanotube membranes with sub-1.27-nm pores.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 29536038.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.1700938 and PMC identifier 5844709.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC.
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Abstract
We report the first characterization study of commercial prototype carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes consisting of sub-1.27-nm-diameter CNTs traversing a large-area nonporous polysulfone film. The membranes show rejection of NaCl and MgSO<sub>4</sub> at higher ionic strengths than have previously been reported in CNT membranes, and specific size selectivity for analytes with diameters below 1.24 nm. The CNTs used in the membranes were arc discharge nanotubes with inner diameters of 0.67 to 1.27 nm. Water flow through the membranes was 1000 times higher than predicted by Hagen-Poiseuille flow, in agreement with previous CNT membrane studies. Ideal gas selectivity was found to deviate significantly from that predicted by both viscous and Knudsen flow, suggesting that surface diffusion effects may begin to dominate gas selectivity at this size scale.