Graphene oxide (GO) membranes with GO sheets of different sizes were prepared on porous nylon substrates. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to explore the size effect of GO sheets on the microstructure of GO membranes. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was utilized to observe the membrane morphology and thickness. The effects of GO sheets, membrane thickness, draw solution concentration, and solvent parameters on organic solvent forward osmosis (OSFO) performances were studied in methanol solution. Using pure methanol as the feed solution and 1 M citric acid methanol solution as the draw solution, a 240 nm thick highly laminated GO (HLGO) membrane achieves 4.18 L m–2 h–1 methanol flux with a moderate reverse solute flux. In the enrichment of target products via the OSFO of HLGO membranes, model solutes and atorvastatin calcium were, respectively, employed as target molecules. The solutions containing target products could be successfully concentrated with high solvent fluxes and ideal rejection rates.
A novel polymer of intrinsic microporosity , acyl chloride-functionalized polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-COCl), was obtained by hydrolysis under alkaline conditions and acylation in thionyl chloride of PIM-1. PIM-COCl is soluble in common organic solvents , and it is used for the first time for organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN). The acyl chloride groups in PIM-COCl can be further cross-linked with an amine-functionalized polyacrylonitrile (APAN) ultrafiltration membrane to form an interconnected layer, which shrinks pore size and provides better structural stability and selectivity. The PIM-COCl composite membranes exhibit high rejection and alcohol flux during OSN. Compared with the reported PIM OSN membranes , [email protected] exhibits higher rejection for crystal violet (408 g mol −1 , over 94%) in ethanol and several times higher alcohol flux. The membrane shows outstanding stability in ethanol for 14 days. PIM provides a microporous structure, while the interconnected layer maintains this structure in organic solvents via hydrogen bonding , electrostatic interactions and covalent cross-linking. Other PIMs can readily undergo acyl chloride functionalization, which provides them with high reactivity towards amine groups to form stable interconnected layers. This work offers new strategies for the design and preparation of high performance OSN membranes .