Design of Highly Water-Permeable Nanoporous Membrane by Arrangement of Regular Atomic Charges on the Pore-Wall: A Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Study

AbstractNon-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations were employed to investigate the effect of charged pore-wall of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which is the model of microporous membranes. The study found that the charged atoms on the CNT pore-wall significantly affect how water molecules ori...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hayato Higuchi, Daiki Goto, Hiromitsu Takaba
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/00219592.2024.2323728
Description
Summary:AbstractNon-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations were employed to investigate the effect of charged pore-wall of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which is the model of microporous membranes. The study found that the charged atoms on the CNT pore-wall significantly affect how water molecules orient themselves in the pore through the formation of hydrogen bonds with charged pore-wall atoms. Two different atomic charge arrangements on the pore-wall were investigated: a linear arrangement and a double helix arrangement. The latter resulted in a higher flux when tested at higher applied pressure. Additionally, the fluxes in charged pore-wall models were higher than that in uncharged pore-wall models. It is concluded that optimizing charge arrangements could enhance water permeation, which holds potential for improving conventional RO membranes.
ISSN:0021-9592
1881-1299