Orientation matters: Measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalance
The surface of polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membranes which regulates interface-dominated phenomena, such as partitioning and fouling, is the one facing the feed during operation. However, the opposite surface of the polyamide selective layer, the one facing the permeate and in contact with the po...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Membrane Science Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772421223000120 |
| _version_ | 1797397560704368640 |
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| author | Luis Francisco Villalobos Kevin E. Pataroque Weiyi Pan Tianchi Cao Masashi Kaneda Camille Violet Cody L. Ritt Eric M.V. Hoek Menachem Elimelech |
| author_facet | Luis Francisco Villalobos Kevin E. Pataroque Weiyi Pan Tianchi Cao Masashi Kaneda Camille Violet Cody L. Ritt Eric M.V. Hoek Menachem Elimelech |
| author_sort | Luis Francisco Villalobos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The surface of polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membranes which regulates interface-dominated phenomena, such as partitioning and fouling, is the one facing the feed during operation. However, the opposite surface of the polyamide selective layer, the one facing the permeate and in contact with the polysulfone porous support, is commonly analyzed in quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements due to limitations of state-of-the-art transfer methodologies. Such measurements on the back surface cannot be generalized because the polyamide layer is chemically and morphologically asymmetric. Herein, we introduce a simple method to coat QCM sensors with polyamide active layers in the correct orientation (i.e., exposing their front surface) and show that interface-dominated phenomena differ significantly between orientations. We start by describing a transfer protocol to coat any surface with a polyamide layer on its front surface orientation. We then systematically analyze the chemical and morphological differences between the two surfaces of the polyamide layer of a commercial RO membrane. Finally, we demonstrate that interface-dominated phenomena depend on the orientation by showing that NaCl partitioning at pH 6 was 1.3 to 2.3-fold higher on the front surface and that organic fouling with humic acid occurred at a lower rate on this surface. The new method presented herein enables measurements on the front surface of polyamide RO membranes, which should be the standard in any future QCM studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:11:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9567d77a1c13407894c2131fd3aea33e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2772-4212 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:11:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Membrane Science Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-9567d77a1c13407894c2131fd3aea33e2023-12-11T04:17:39ZengElsevierJournal of Membrane Science Letters2772-42122023-11-0132100048Orientation matters: Measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalanceLuis Francisco Villalobos0Kevin E. Pataroque1Weiyi Pan2Tianchi Cao3Masashi Kaneda4Camille Violet5Cody L. Ritt6Eric M.V. Hoek7Menachem Elimelech8Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, United StatesDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, United StatesDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, United StatesDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, United StatesDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, United StatesDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, United StatesDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, United StatesDepartment of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Institute of the Environment & Sustainability and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Energy Storage and Distributed Resources Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United StatesDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, United States; Corresponding author.The surface of polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membranes which regulates interface-dominated phenomena, such as partitioning and fouling, is the one facing the feed during operation. However, the opposite surface of the polyamide selective layer, the one facing the permeate and in contact with the polysulfone porous support, is commonly analyzed in quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements due to limitations of state-of-the-art transfer methodologies. Such measurements on the back surface cannot be generalized because the polyamide layer is chemically and morphologically asymmetric. Herein, we introduce a simple method to coat QCM sensors with polyamide active layers in the correct orientation (i.e., exposing their front surface) and show that interface-dominated phenomena differ significantly between orientations. We start by describing a transfer protocol to coat any surface with a polyamide layer on its front surface orientation. We then systematically analyze the chemical and morphological differences between the two surfaces of the polyamide layer of a commercial RO membrane. Finally, we demonstrate that interface-dominated phenomena depend on the orientation by showing that NaCl partitioning at pH 6 was 1.3 to 2.3-fold higher on the front surface and that organic fouling with humic acid occurred at a lower rate on this surface. The new method presented herein enables measurements on the front surface of polyamide RO membranes, which should be the standard in any future QCM studies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772421223000120Thin film composite polyamide membraneTransfer polyamideSalt partitioningFouling behaviorMembrane asymmetryQCM measurement |
| spellingShingle | Luis Francisco Villalobos Kevin E. Pataroque Weiyi Pan Tianchi Cao Masashi Kaneda Camille Violet Cody L. Ritt Eric M.V. Hoek Menachem Elimelech Orientation matters: Measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalance Journal of Membrane Science Letters Thin film composite polyamide membrane Transfer polyamide Salt partitioning Fouling behavior Membrane asymmetry QCM measurement |
| title | Orientation matters: Measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalance |
| title_full | Orientation matters: Measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalance |
| title_fullStr | Orientation matters: Measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Orientation matters: Measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalance |
| title_short | Orientation matters: Measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalance |
| title_sort | orientation matters measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalance |
| topic | Thin film composite polyamide membrane Transfer polyamide Salt partitioning Fouling behavior Membrane asymmetry QCM measurement |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772421223000120 |
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