Macromolecular Design for Oxygen/Nitrogen Permselective Membranes—Top-Performing Polymers in 2020—

Oxygen/nitrogen permselective membranes play particularly important roles in fundamental scientific studies and in a number of applications in industrial chemistry, but have not yet fulfilled their full potential. Organic polymers are the main materials used for such membranes because of the possibi...

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Main Authors: Jianjun Wang, Zhichun Shi, Yu Zang, Hongge Jia, Masahiro Teraguchi, Takashi Kaneko, Toshiki Aoki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:Polymers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/17/3012
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author Jianjun Wang
Zhichun Shi
Yu Zang
Hongge Jia
Masahiro Teraguchi
Takashi Kaneko
Toshiki Aoki
author_facet Jianjun Wang
Zhichun Shi
Yu Zang
Hongge Jia
Masahiro Teraguchi
Takashi Kaneko
Toshiki Aoki
author_sort Jianjun Wang
collection DOAJ
description Oxygen/nitrogen permselective membranes play particularly important roles in fundamental scientific studies and in a number of applications in industrial chemistry, but have not yet fulfilled their full potential. Organic polymers are the main materials used for such membranes because of the possibility of using sophisticated techniques of precise molecular design and their ready processability for making thin and large self-supporting membranes. However, since the difference in the properties of oxygen and nitrogen gas molecules is quite small, for example, their kinetic diameters are 3.46 Å and 3.64 Å, respectively, the architectures of the membrane macromolecules should be designed precisely. It has been reported often that oxygen permeability (<i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub>) and oxygen permselectivity (α = <i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub>/<i>P</i><sub>N<sub>2</sub></sub>) have trade-off relationships for symmetric membranes made from pure polymers. Some empirical upper bound lines have been reported in (ln α − ln <i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub>) plots since Robeson reported an upper bound line in 1991 for the first time. The main purpose of this review is to discuss suitable macromolecular structures that produce excellent oxygen/nitrogen permselective membranes. For this purpose, we first searched extensively and intensively for papers which had reported α and <i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub> values through symmetric dense membranes from pure polymers. Then, we examined the chemical structures of the polymers showing the top performances in (ln α − ln <i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub>) plots, using their aged performances. Furthermore, we also explored progress in the molecular design in this field by comparing the best polymers reported by 2013 and those subsequently found up to now (2020) because of the rapid outstanding growth in this period. Finally, we discussed how to improve α and <i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub> simultaneously on the basis of reported results using not only symmetric membranes of pure organic polymers but also composite asymmetric membranes containing various additives.
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spelling doaj.art-f7f9522aeba341ee999e27f0c27325ee2023-11-22T11:06:44ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602021-09-011317301210.3390/polym13173012Macromolecular Design for Oxygen/Nitrogen Permselective Membranes—Top-Performing Polymers in 2020—Jianjun Wang0Zhichun Shi1Yu Zang2Hongge Jia3Masahiro Teraguchi4Takashi Kaneko5Toshiki Aoki6Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composition Material of Heilongjiang Province, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qiqihar University, Wenhua Street 42, Qiqihar 161006, ChinaTechnology Innovation Center of Industrial Cannabis Processing of Heilongjiang Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qiqihar University, Wenhua Street 42, Qiqihar 161006, ChinaKey Laboratory of Polymeric Composition Material of Heilongjiang Province, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qiqihar University, Wenhua Street 42, Qiqihar 161006, ChinaKey Laboratory of Polymeric Composition Material of Heilongjiang Province, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qiqihar University, Wenhua Street 42, Qiqihar 161006, ChinaDepartment of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Ikarashi 2-8050, Nishi-Ku, Niigata 950-2181, JapanDepartment of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Ikarashi 2-8050, Nishi-Ku, Niigata 950-2181, JapanDepartment of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Ikarashi 2-8050, Nishi-Ku, Niigata 950-2181, JapanOxygen/nitrogen permselective membranes play particularly important roles in fundamental scientific studies and in a number of applications in industrial chemistry, but have not yet fulfilled their full potential. Organic polymers are the main materials used for such membranes because of the possibility of using sophisticated techniques of precise molecular design and their ready processability for making thin and large self-supporting membranes. However, since the difference in the properties of oxygen and nitrogen gas molecules is quite small, for example, their kinetic diameters are 3.46 Å and 3.64 Å, respectively, the architectures of the membrane macromolecules should be designed precisely. It has been reported often that oxygen permeability (<i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub>) and oxygen permselectivity (α = <i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub>/<i>P</i><sub>N<sub>2</sub></sub>) have trade-off relationships for symmetric membranes made from pure polymers. Some empirical upper bound lines have been reported in (ln α − ln <i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub>) plots since Robeson reported an upper bound line in 1991 for the first time. The main purpose of this review is to discuss suitable macromolecular structures that produce excellent oxygen/nitrogen permselective membranes. For this purpose, we first searched extensively and intensively for papers which had reported α and <i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub> values through symmetric dense membranes from pure polymers. Then, we examined the chemical structures of the polymers showing the top performances in (ln α − ln <i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub>) plots, using their aged performances. Furthermore, we also explored progress in the molecular design in this field by comparing the best polymers reported by 2013 and those subsequently found up to now (2020) because of the rapid outstanding growth in this period. Finally, we discussed how to improve α and <i>P</i><sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub> simultaneously on the basis of reported results using not only symmetric membranes of pure organic polymers but also composite asymmetric membranes containing various additives.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/17/3012macromolecular designoxygen/nitrogen separationpolymer membranestop-performing polymersupper boundsoxygen permeability
spellingShingle Jianjun Wang
Zhichun Shi
Yu Zang
Hongge Jia
Masahiro Teraguchi
Takashi Kaneko
Toshiki Aoki
Macromolecular Design for Oxygen/Nitrogen Permselective Membranes—Top-Performing Polymers in 2020—
Polymers
macromolecular design
oxygen/nitrogen separation
polymer membranes
top-performing polymers
upper bounds
oxygen permeability
title Macromolecular Design for Oxygen/Nitrogen Permselective Membranes—Top-Performing Polymers in 2020—
title_full Macromolecular Design for Oxygen/Nitrogen Permselective Membranes—Top-Performing Polymers in 2020—
title_fullStr Macromolecular Design for Oxygen/Nitrogen Permselective Membranes—Top-Performing Polymers in 2020—
title_full_unstemmed Macromolecular Design for Oxygen/Nitrogen Permselective Membranes—Top-Performing Polymers in 2020—
title_short Macromolecular Design for Oxygen/Nitrogen Permselective Membranes—Top-Performing Polymers in 2020—
title_sort macromolecular design for oxygen nitrogen permselective membranes top performing polymers in 2020
topic macromolecular design
oxygen/nitrogen separation
polymer membranes
top-performing polymers
upper bounds
oxygen permeability
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/17/3012
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