Clarizia Gabriele, Bernardo Paola
Institute on Membrane Technology (ITM-CNR), Via P. Bucci 17/C, 87036 Rende, Italy.
Polymers (Basel). 2021 Dec 21;14(1):10. doi: 10.3390/polym14010010.
An inspiring challenge for membrane scientists is to exceed the current materials' performance while keeping the intrinsic processability of the polymers. Nanocomposites, as mixed-matrix membranes, represent a practicable response to this strongly felt need, since they combine the superior properties of inorganic fillers with the easy handling of the polymers. In the global strategy of containing the greenhouse effect by pursuing a model of sustainable growth, separations involving CO are some of the most pressing topics due to their implications in flue gas emission and natural gas upgrading. For this purpose, Pebax copolymers are being actively studied by virtue of a macromolecular structure that comprises specific groups that are capable of interacting with CO, facilitating its transport with respect to other gas species. Interestingly, these copolymers show a high versatility in the incorporation of nanofillers, as proved by the large number of papers describing nanocomposite membranes based on Pebax for the separation of CO. Since the field is advancing fast, this review will focus on the most recent progress (from the last 5 years), in order to provide the most up-to-date overview in this area. The most recent approaches for developing Pebax-based mixed-matrix membranes will be discussed, evidencing the most promising filler materials and analyzing the key-factors and the main aspects that are relevant in terms of achieving the best effectiveness of these multifaceted membranes for the development of innovative devices.
对于膜科学家而言，一个鼓舞人心的挑战是在保持聚合物固有可加工性的同时，超越当前材料的性能。作为混合基质膜的纳米复合材料，代表了对这种强烈需求的切实回应，因为它们将无机填料的优异性能与聚合物的易加工性结合在一起。在通过追求可持续增长模式来遏制温室效应的全球战略中，涉及二氧化碳的分离是一些最紧迫的课题，因为它们对烟气排放和天然气提质有影响。为此，由于Pebax共聚物的大分子结构包含能够与二氧化碳相互作用的特定基团，有助于其相对于其他气体物种的传输，因此正在对其进行积极研究。有趣的是，这些共聚物在纳入纳米填料方面显示出高度的通用性，大量描述基于Pebax用于分离二氧化碳的纳米复合膜的论文证明了这一点。由于该领域发展迅速，本综述将聚焦于（过去5年的）最新进展，以便提供该领域的最新概况。将讨论开发基于Pebax的混合基质膜的最新方法，阐明最有前景的填料材料，并分析在实现这些多层面膜对创新设备开发的最佳有效性方面相关的关键因素和主要方面。
