Synthesis and Gas Transport Properties of Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)⁻Silica Nanocomposite Membranes

• Published in: Membranes (Basel) Vol. 8; no. 4; p. 125
• Main Authors: Bissadi, Golnaz, Melo Santos, Thiago, Kruczek, Boguslaw
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 04.12.2018; MDPI
• Subjects: Acetone; Acids; Aluminum; Aqueous solutions; Carbon dioxide; Contact angle; Conversion; Emulsion polymerization; Ethanol; Fourier transforms; gas separation; Gas transport; Gases; Membranes; Methane; nanocomposite membranes; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Permeability; poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide); Polydimethyl phenylene oxide; Polymers; Reagents; Selectivity; Silica; Silicon dioxide; Spectrum analysis; Surfactants; tetraethylorthosilicate; Transport properties; Canada; tetraethylorthosilicate; poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide); gas separation; nanocomposite membranes
• ISSN: 2077-0375; 2077-0375
• DOI: 10.3390/membranes8040125

The emulsion polymerized mixed matrix (EPMM) method is a new approach to prepare nanocomposite membranes, in which inorganic nanoparticles are synthesized in situ at the interface of a dispersed aqueous phase in a continuous phase of polymer solution. In this paper, we report the synthesis and characterization of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO)-based EPMM membranes, in which silica nanoparticles are synthesized by the polymerization of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) in the presence of two different co-solvents, ethanol and acetone, which are soluble in both the aqueous phase and the polymer solution. The EPPM membranes prepared in the presence of acetone show greater conversions of TEOS and a different structure of the synthesized silica nanoparticles compared to the EPMM membranes prepared in the presence of ethanol. The former membranes are both more permeable and more selective for O₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄. Both types of EPMM membranes are more permeable than the reference PPO membranes. However, while their O₂/N₂ selectivity is practically unchanged, their CO₂/CH₄ selectivity is decreased compared to the reference PPO membranes.