Precisely Patterned Nanostrand Surface of Cucurbituril[<i>n</i>]-Based Nanofiltration Membranes for Effective Alcohol-Water Condensation.

Tang, Ming-Jian; Liu, Mei-Ling; Wang, Da-An; Shao, Dan-Dan; Wang, Hua-Jiang; Cui, Zhaoliang; Cao, Xue-Li; Sun, Shi-Peng · Nano Lett · 2020

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Low concentration alcohols produced by state-of-the-art biological fermentation restrict subsequent purification processes for chemical, pharmaceutical, biofuel, and other applications. Herein, a rarely reported cucurbituril[<i>n</i>] (<i>n</i> = 6, 8) is employed to pattern the thin-film composite membranes with controllable and quantifiable nanostrand structures through a host-guest strategy. The resulting nanofiltration membrane with such morphology is the first report that exhibits excellent separation performance for isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and water, condensing the initial 0.5 wt % IPA aqueous solution to 9.0 wt %. This not only provides a novel strategy for patterning nanostructural morphology but also makes nanofiltration membranes promising for alcohol condensation in the biological fermentation industry that may reduce energy consumption and postprocessing costs.