In situ polymerization of UiO-66-NH2 with polyamide to fabricate mixed-matrix membranes with enhanced separation performance for methanol and dimethyl carbonate

Pervaporation (PV) is an energy-efficient membrane technology for separating organic mixtures. Traditional polymer membranes in the PV face limitations due to a trade-off between flux and separation factor. Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) fabricated using solution mixing or filler modification often suffer from interfacial defects or require additional complex preparation steps. This study introduces an in situ polymerization method that incorporates UiO-66-NH 2 into the polyamide polymerization process to fabricate UiO-66-NH 2 @polyamide (PA) MMMs for methanol and dimethyl carbonate separation, which effectively resolves the interfacial defect issues while eliminating additional filler modification steps. The trade-off issue is also overcome. Results show that in situ polymerization improves UiO-66-NH 2 dispersion in the polymer matrix and strengthens polymer–filler interactions. MMMs with 5 wt% UiO-66-NH 2 loading achieved a total flux of 11.5 kg/(m 2 ·h) and a separation factor of 12.5 at 30 °C, representing a 2.32-fold and 1.46-fold improvement over pure PA membranes. These findings demonstrate the significant benefits of in situ polymerization in enhancing MMM performance and simplifying fabrication, providing an efficient strategy for industrial PV applications.