Combing three-dimensional water channels and ultra-thin skin layer enable high flux and stability of loose polyimide/SiO2 nanofiltration membranes at low operating pressure via one step in-situ modification

Desalination of brackish water and purification of drinking water still pose several challenges. Combination of in-situ hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in polyamic acid (PAA) solution along with imidization reaction provide a novel polyimide/SiO2 (PI/SiO2) membrane. This is the first synthesis of a PI nanofiltration (NF) membrane with three-dimensional (3D) water channels, ultra-thin skin layer (30 ± 2 nm), and...