Next generation of multifunctional membranes for resource recovery

Polymeric membranes have become the crit. components of a broad range of sustainability and resource recovery applications including 1) energy generation and storage, 2) water desalination and reuse and 3) biopharmaceutical sepns. and purifications. During the last two decades, substantial research efforts have been devoted to the development of mixed matrix membranes with embedded functional particles and nanomaterials. Such membranes are being designed to carry out multiple functions (e.g. retention, sorption and catalysis) with improved properties and performance including higher permselectivity and flux, greater mech. strength and lower fouling propensity. Polymeric particles could provide greater flexibility for the prepn. of mixed matrix membranes with improved particle- matrix compatibility, particle loading, flux and selectivity. Polymeric particles can be prepd. with different sizes, shapes and morphologies. Their chem. can be tuned to produce functional particles that can serve as org. sorbents, ion exchange media and affinity/chelating media making them particularly attractive as building blocks for multifunctional membranes for the recovery of crit. materials and resources from solns. and impaired water including saline water and wastewater. In this presentation, we will describe a facile and simple route to the prepn. of mixed matrix membranes with embedded functional polymeric particles. The crit. step of our novel methodol. is the in-situ synthesis and functionalization of polymeric nano/microparticles in a dope soln. prior to membrane casting. We highlight two applications of our new mixed matrix membranes with in- situ synthesized polymeric particles: 1) weak- base membrane absorbers for protein sepns. by ion exchange membrane chromatog. and 2) high flux and fouling resistant ultrafiltration membranes for microalgae recovery and harvesting from wastewater and culture media