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Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are promising for recovering acid from different engineering effluent due to their lower energy consumption, positive environmental impact, and potential for providing clean water resources. Utilizing the diffusion dialysis (DD) process, AEMs effectively retain metal ions while selectively allowing fast proton permeation. Achieving high hydrophilicity, proton conductivity, and ion exchange capacity through exact control of polymeric structure and chemical composition is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of the acid recovery process. This study presents the findings on the impact of novel Poly(ionic liquid) on cellulose acetate-based AEMs for acid recovery through DD application. In this study, interconnected nanochannel AEMs with high acid permeability are engineered using a straightforward blending technique. Poly(3-butyl-1-vinylimidazolium bromide-co-methyl methacrylate-co-styrene) (poly([BVIM]-[Br]–co–MMA-co-Styrene, PIL) is blended with cellulose acetate to achieve ionic crosslinking, resulting in a mechanically stable membrane. The dosage of PIL within the membrane matrix plays a vital role in determining the prepared membranes' physicochemical properties and ion exchange capabilities, which exhibit excellent thermal stability. Remarkably, the optimal AEM (7.5 % PILM) exhibits a high acid dialysis coefficient (U H +) of 1.05 m/h and a separation factor (S) of 802, outperforming previously reported state-of-the-art AEMs and commercial membranes. These findings indicate that the prepared AEMs are highly effective for acid recovery through DD. Notably, our work stands out by introducing new AEMs with superior acid dialysis performance and selectivity. [Display omitted] • Cellulose acetate-poly(ionic liquid) based ionic crosslinked membranes were fabricated. • A highly ion-conductive channel is obtained from a simple polymer blending method. • The optimal 7.5 % PILM membrane exhibits an excellent U H + of 1.05 m/h and a high separation factor of 802. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient recovery of rare scattered metal Re(VII) from various resources is a prerequisite due to its important application. Herein, a type of novel nanofibrous membrane, 0.4P(Ph-3MVIm-Br)-3PVP/2TPU, is successfully prepared by electrospinning, where poly(ionic liquid) P(Ph-3MVIm-Br) is incorporated and could supply more adsorption sites. Meanwhile, PVP (polyvinyl pyrrolidone) and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) ensured the water flux and the structural stability of the membrane. The nanofibrous membrane exhibited a high adsorption capacity for ReO 4 −, which can reach 128 mg g−1 at pH 5. Its water flux is as high as 433 L m−2 h−1 at 0.4 g of poly(ionic liquid) addition, membrane thickness of 20 μm, and pressure of 1 bar. Furthermore, 0.4P(Ph-3MVIm-Br)-3PVP/2TPU nanofibrous membrane can remove 91.7% of ReO 4 − within 30 min. After 9 times recycling, the adsorption efficiency of the membrane can still maintain more than 90%. Dynamic ReO 4 − removal with 0.4P(Ph-3MVIm-Br)-3PVP/2TPU after one cycle was accomplished with a breakthrough volume of 24 mL ReO 4 − solution (feed 10 mg L−1, 100 mg membrane). The exchange of ReO 4 − and Br− of poly(ionic liquid) mostly promote the adsorption of ReO 4 −. Moreover, the structure of the membrane has excellent selectivity, mechanical performance, strong acid and alkali resistance stability, which endow the membrane easy to operate in practical applications. [Display omitted] • Nanofibrous membrane can remove 91.7 % of ReO 4 − within 30 min. • It has a great adsorption capacity of 128 mg g−1 for ReO 4 − at pH 5. • It has a good selectivity for ReO 4 − in the presence of SO 4 2− or NO 3 −. • It unfolds prominent regeneration ability after nine consecutive cycles. • It can achieve a water flux of 433 L m−2 h−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafiltration membranes have gained significant prominence in water and wastewater treatment, holding potential for application in combating antibiotic resistance. Herein, we successfully fabricated a polyvinylidene fluoride copolymer-based ultrafiltration membrane capable of effectively removing antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) from water and wastewater through the molecular design approach, incorporating polyionic liquid (PIL) via atom transfer radical polymerization. The as-prepared membrane exhibited bactericidal properties against wild-type bacteria, ARB and opportunistic pathogens, showcasing an inactivation efficiency exceeding 70 %. These properties were attributed to the increased intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species and enhanced membrane permeability, suggesting the involvement of oxidative stress and disruption of the cell outer membrane in bacterial cell lysis. To investigate the interaction with bacterial cells, we utilized liposome vesicles as a model, revealing that the PIL brush effectively disrupted the integrity of the bacterial cell's phospholipid bilayer through its alkyl chain. Furthermore, zeta potential measurements indicated that the role of electrostatic interactions between the imidazole ring and bacteria in bacterial inactivation mechanisms. During wastewater filtration, the PIL-M membrane demonstrated outstanding efficiency in total bacteria removal, exceeding 99.1 %. Additionally, the PIL-M membrane displayed significant bacterial inactivation capabilities against total bacteria as well as sulfamethoxazole-resistant bacteria, chloramphenicol-resistant bacteria, and tetracycline-resi8stant bacteria, achieving respective inactivation efficiencies of 91 %, 93 %, 87 %, and 85 %. These results highlight the membrane's potential in mitigating membrane fouling and inactivating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that the PIL-M membrane can effectively contribute to controlling bacterial resistance in water and wastewater environments. [Display omitted] • The membrane composed of PIL-P copolymer was successfully synthesized. • The PIL-M membrane demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. • The PIL-M membrane exhibited remarkable capabilities in retention and inactivation ARB. • The bactericidal mechanism of PIL brush was proved. • The PIL brushes exhibit enhanced antifouling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our current climate crisis, an impressive global effort is being deployed to develop and implement technologies to mitigate CO 2 emissions. For instance, CO 2 capture and storage/utilization (CCUS) will be fundamental during the energy transition. In the context of CCUS, the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) has gained growing attention because it acts as a green catalyst in CO 2 capture by absorption. A few works investigated the preparation of membranes with immobilized CA for CO 2 capture by gas-liquid membrane contactors. Although these biocatalytic membranes exhibited improvements in the CO 2 capture rate, limited immobilization strategies and carriers have been investigated so far. This work describes the fabrication, characterization, and testing of novel composite membranes with immobilized CA for CO 2 capture. The membranes were comprised of a hydrophilic poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) top layer coated on a porous poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) support. The layer was prepared by in-situ polymerization of an ionic liquid monomer solution cast on the PVDF. CA was easily immobilized on the PIL layer by physical adsorption. The immobilized enzyme's catalytic activity was evaluated to identify the optimum formulation of the PIL layer (monomer and cross-linker concentrations) and immobilization protocol (enzyme concentration in the buffer solution and pH). Despite the immobilization protocol's simplicity, the enzyme was strongly bonded as the enzyme-loaded membranes could be reutilized 10 times while retaining above 90% of their initial activity. These membranes were further characterized by SEM, EDX, ATR-FTIR, TGA, DSC, zeta potential, and water contact angle. Moreover, the biocatalytic composite membranes were tested in a gas absorption set-up to demonstrate their applicability. They showed an increase in the overall mass transfer coefficient with respect to the pristine support by a factor of 2.5, making them interesting candidates for promoting CO 2 capture. [Display omitted] • Novel poly(ionic liquid)-PVDF thin film composite membranes were developed. • The enzyme carbonic anhydrase was immobilized on these membranes. • The biocatalytic membranes were tested for CO 2 absorption in a gas-liquid membrane contactor set-up. • The biocatalytic membranes displayed a 2.5-fold enhancement in the CO 2 flux compared to pristine PVDF. • The reusability of the biocatalytic membranes was very high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of commercial membrane units for large-scale natural gas sweetening are based on cellulose acetate (CA). However, the low selectivity and risk for and plasticisation affect adversely the performance of CA-based systems. Herein, we present a new class of CA-derived poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) as a thin film composite (TFC) membrane for CO 2 separations. CA is modified with pyrrolidinium cations through alkylation of butyl chloride, substituting the hydroxyl group in the polymer backbone, and further anion exchange to bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, P[CA][Tf 2 N]. The synthesised PIL material properties are extensively studied. The CO 2 separation performance of the newly synthesised materials is evaluated by gravimetric gas sorption experiments, single gas time-lag experiments on thick membranes, and mixed-gas separation experiments on TFC membranes. The results are compared to the parent material (CA) as well as a reference PIL (poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium) bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (P[DADMA][Tf 2 N])). The ideal CO 2 /N 2 sorption selectivity of P[CA][Tf 2 N] is constant up to 10 bar. The single gas transport measurements in P[CA][Tf 2 N] reveal improved ideal CO 2 selectivity for the CO 2 /N 2 gas pair and increased CO 2 permeability for the CO 2 /CH 4 gas pair compared to the reference PIL. Mixed-gas permeation tests demonstrated that P[CA][Tf 2 N]-based membranes with a 5 µm thick selective layer has a two-fold higher CO 2 flux compared to conventional CA. These results present CA modification into PILs as a successful approach promoting the higher permeate flows and improved process stability in a wide range of concentrations and pressures of CO 2 /N 2 and CO 2 /CH 4 gas mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a new strategy is used to economically synthesize an oligomeric ionic liquid from conventional phenolic epoxy resin. This oligomeric ionic liquid is further blended with PVdF-co-HFP and organic liquid electrolyte to prepare a high performance, nonflammable gel polymer membrane. Although the liquid electrolyte uptake is low (< 50%) for this novel gel polymer electrolyte, it possesses high ionic conductivities of 2.0 mS cm −1 at 30 °C and 6.6 mS cm −1 at 80 °C, respectively. The AC impedance results show that the interfacial compatibility between this gel polymer electrolyte and the electrodes is good. These two factors result in high cell capacity under different charge/discharge rates. Further, excellent cell-cycle stability after being charged and discharged 100 cycles is also demonstrated with the columbic efficiency to be up to 99. Due to the existence of the oligomeric ionic liquid, this novel gel polymer electrolyte exhibits superior dimensional stability; that is, at high temperature (150 °C) the dimensional change is less than 1%. Notably, the electrolyte’s limiting oxygen index can be as high as 29, meaning that it achieves the flame-retardant requirement under a normal atmosphere, which is essential to the safety of lithium ion batteries. These features allow this novel gel polymer electrolyte to function as a high performance and high safety lithium ionic conductor as well as a separator for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasi-solid electrolytes (QSEs) with high safety and flexibility can provide relatively high ionic conductivity and electrode/electrolyte interface compatibility. However, it also suffers from challenges of mechanical strength and stable cycling at room temperature. Herein, we design and prepare a poly(ionic liquid) electrolyte by in-situ thermally initiate crosslinking polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMEM) and 1-vinyl-3-isobutyrate ethyl imidazole bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (VBIM-TFSI) on the electrode surface with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) electrospun membrane as reinforcement separator. The POSS/PVDF electrospun membrane improves the electrolyte's mechanical strength without compromising the thickness, while the stable lithium-ion transport channels in the cross-linked network by PEGMEM and VBIM-TFSI enhance the ionic conductivity, achieving stable cycling of the battery at ambient temperature. The electrolyte with molar ratio of PEGMEM and VBIM-TFSI of 1–2 (QSE-P 1 I 2) exhibits high ionic conductivity (2.15 × 10−4 S cm−1, 30 °C) and stable electrode/electrolyte interface properties. Meanwhile, the batteries assembled with QSE-P 1 I 2 realize stable cycle at room temperature. This study provides a promising strategy to utilize in-situ polymerization to improve electrode/electrolyte interfacial compatibility, improve ionic conductivity, and realize room temperature cycling of solid-state batteries. [Display omitted] • The poly(ionic liquid) flexible QSE supported by POSS/PVDF was prepared by in-situ thermally initiated polymerization. • POSS/PVDF enhanced the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the electrolyte. • In-situ polymerization on the electrode surface enables a stable electrode/electrolyte interface. • The solid lithium metal battery with the QSE-P 1 I 2 can stably cycle for over 100 times at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crosslinked polyimides with a pendant piperazinium bromide acting as both the crosslinker and the CO 2 -philic functional group have been developed. These ionic-group-mediated crosslinked polyimide membranes showed excellent thermal, mechanical and chemical stabilities, as well as high tolerance to plasticization. Unlike other typical crosslinked polymers, the pendant piperazinium-mediated crosslinked polyimide membranes displayed high CO 2 permeability of 475.5 Barrer, together with high CO 2 /CH 4 (34.5) and CO 2 /N 2 (18) permselectivities. We also demonstrate that the CO 2 separation performances of these membranes can be tuned by changing the crosslinking method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel catalytic membrane was synthesized by grafting a poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) onto polypropylene (PP) membrane followed by complexing with polyoxometalate (POM). The membrane was successfully used for degradation of dyes in water under visible light. PP nonwoven fabric membrane (PP NWF) was firstly modified by photoinduced grafting of poly(1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride) (PVBMC) and then anchored with POM H3PMo12O40. The modified membranes PP-g-PVBMC and PP-g-PVBMC-POM were characterized by FT-IR, FESEM and XPS. The results indicate that the PIL–POM composites were successfully immobilized on the membrane surface. By optimizing the synthetic conditions, a PVBMC grafting degree of 370μg/cm2 and a POM loading of 312μg/cm2 can be achieved. Acid orange 7 (AO7) was used as a model dye molecule to evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the membrane. By static soaking the membrane in solution, the catalytic membrane was demonstrated to be able to degrade 95% of AO7 in 0.02g/L of solution in 120min with the irradiation of two 55W fluorescent lamps. By cycled filtration of the solution, a membrane disc of 47mm diameter can degrade 70% of the AO7 in 250mL of 0.02g/L solution in only 10min. High pH and the presence of inorganic salts can deteriorate the photocatalytic activity of the membrane. The cycled use and the long-term stability test indicate that the membrane has good reusability and stability as a catalytic membrane. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Membrane separation is an effective strategy to reduce the energy consumption during conventional processes in the petrochemical industry. Currently, membrane separations of light hydrocarbons are still underdeveloped and the general problem of the poor compatibility between the polymer and inorganic particles in mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) must be addressed. Herein, the separation of acetylene/ethylene mixture employing a defect-free mixed-matrix membrane consisting of anion-pillared metal-organic frameworks (MOFs, SIFSIX-2-Cu-i, SIFSIX = hexafluorosilicate, 2 = 4,4′-dipyridylacetylene, i = interpenetrated) and poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) is for the first time reported. The strategy of enhancing compatibility by strong electrostatic interactions between ionic polymer and MOFs is realized and defect-free MMMs can be prepared readily without extra treatment. With optimized ion density, an acetylene/ethylene separation selectivity of 112.0 is achieved on SIFSIX-2-Cu-i/P[ATMA][BF 4 ]-g-PEG 500 ([ATMA][BF 4 ] = 2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl-trimethylammonium tetrafluoroborate, PEG = poly(ethylene glycol)) mixed membrane, indicating that our strategy is effective to prepare highly selective defect-free membranes. The strategy of strengthening electrostatic interactions between ionic polymer and anion-pillared MOFs provides a general approach for the fabrication of defect-free MMMs which has promise in gas separation applications. Image 1 • Mixed-matrix membrane (MMMs) achieved efficient separation of C 2 H 2 /C 2 H 4. • Defect-free MMMs were prepared with anion-pillared MOFs and poly(ionic liquid)s. • The strategy of strengthening electrostatic interactions for MMMs is effective. • Acetylene/ethylene permeation behaviors were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) with fire-resistant properties are highly desirable for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) with enhanced safety. Herein, we report a novel GPE derived from a porous poly(ionic liquid)/P(VDF-HFP) (PIL/P(VDF-HFP)) composite membrane prepared via a simple and scalable phase inversion method. The ion-dipole interactions between the PIL and P(VDF-HFP) endow the PIL/P(VDF-HFP) membrane with significantly enhanced mechanical performances and thermal stability. Flexible GPEs can be obtained after absorption of the liquid electrolytes into the PIL/P(VDF-HFP) membrane. The PIL/P(VDF-HFP) GPE exhibits a much higher ionic conductivity (1.78 × 10−3 S cm−1) compared to the liquid electrolytes absorbed in the commercial Celgard 2325 separator (3.5 × 10−4 S cm−1). The Li/LiFePO 4 battery assembled with the GPE exhibits a high reversible capacity of 99.2 mAh g−1 at 12C and high discharge capacities of 138.4 and 125.4 mAh g−1 after 200 charge-discharge cycles at 1C and 4C, respectively. These performances are all superior to the Li/LiFePO 4 battery using the commercial Celgard 2325 separator saturated with liquid electrolytes. Importantly, the PIL/P(VDF-HFP) GPE exhibits excellent fire-resistance, benefiting from the non-flammable property of the PIL. The as-developed GPE shows great potential for the practical application in LIBs with superior electrochemical performances and high safety. Image 1 • New, simple, scalable method to fabricate gel polymer electrolytes for LIBs. • Gel polymer electrolytes with fire-resistance and high ionic conductivity. • Outstanding C-rate capabilities and cycling performances of the LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crosslinked poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) and poly(ionic liquid)-ionic liquid (PIL-IL) based membranes with tunable micromolecular structure have been synthesized in a simple way to optimize their CO 2 capture performance. Amino-terminated PILs of two molecular weights (MW) were synthesized via the Debus-Radziszewski multicomponent reaction and then reacted with two commercial glycidyl ether crosslinkers, (polyoxyethylene bis(glycidyl ether) and trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether). The effects of the PIL MW, crosslinker type and content, and IL content on CO 2 /N 2 permeation-separation performance were systematically investigated. For the neat PIL membranes, both the utilization of ether-containing crosslinker and an increase in the crosslinker content increased the CO 2 solubility and diffusivity, with the best PILs membrane exhibiting an excellent CO 2 permeability of 170 Barrer and a CO 2 /N 2 permselectivity of 36. For the PIL-IL membranes, an increase in the IL content increased the CO 2 solubility and diffusivity, but also resulted in a decrease in the diffusivity selectivity. The best permeation-selectivity performance belongs to a PIL-IL membrane that showed a CO 2 permeability of 2070 Barrer and a CO 2 /N 2 permselectivity of 24.6. Among all the PIL-IL membranes reported in literature, this PIL-IL membrane demonstrated the highest permeability and also a cost-effective permselectivity, with its separation performance approaching the 2008 Robeson upper bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]