Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Functionalized Membranes for Removal of PFAS
EPA Grant Number: SU840145Title: Functionalized Membranes for Removal of PFAS
Investigators: Esfahani, Milad R , Tick, Geoffrey R
Institution: The University of Alabama
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2020 through November 30, 2021 (Extended to November 30, 2022)
Project Amount: $25,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Objective:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are current threats to human and environmental health and pose a risk to the safety of groundwater, surface water, and drinking water. The main adverse properties of PFAS are high toxicity, bioaccumulation, persistence in the environment, and are known to be endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. PFAS contamination of soil and water resources is a nationwide problem. This includes many regions and states in the U.S., such as Alabama, California, Arizona, Tennessee, Michigan, New York, and others with higher levels of PFAS compared to the levels of concern. The scientific community and the public have become increasingly concerned about the worldwide contamination of surface water by PFAS substances as the highly toxic and cariogenic contaminant. Therefore the development of a feasible, high-performance and cost-effective approach for the removal of PFAS from surface water is a critical need for public safety.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
We reported the functionalization of thin-film composite (TFC) hollow fiber nanofiltration (HFN) membranes by MXene nanosheets (2D carbon-based materials) during the interfacial polymerization (IP) process for enhanced removal of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) from water. An MXenepolyamide (PA) selective layer was fabricated on top of polysulfone (PSF) hollow fiber support via IP of trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and a mixture of piperazine (PIP) and MXene nanosheets to form MXenePA Thin-film nanocomposites (TFN). By incorporating MXene nanosheets during the IP process, we were able to tune the morphology and negative surface charge of the selective layer, resulting in enhanced PFOS rejection from 72% (bare TFC) to more than 96% (0.025 wt.% MXene TFN) while the water permeability was also increased from 13.19 (bare TFC) to 29.26 LMH/bar (0.025 wt.% MXene TFN). Our results demonstrate that both electrostatic interaction and size exclusion are the two main factors governing the PFOS rejection, and both are determined by PA selective layer structural and chemical properties. The lamella structure and interlayer of MXene nanosheets inside the PA layer provided different transport mechanisms for water, ions, and PFAS molecules resulting in enhanced water permeability and PFAS rejection. MXene nanosheets showed very promising capability as a 2-D additive for tuning the structural and chemical properties of PA layer at the permeability-rejection tradeoff.
Conclusions:
In this study, we reported the fabrication of a novel MXene−TFN hollow fiber NF membrane by using MXene nanosheets as the additives to the PA selective layer to enhance the removal of PFOS from water without sacrificing the salt rejection of membranes while enhancing the membrane flux. We were able to successfully functionalize the PA layer by incorporating MXene nanosheets into the aqueous phase during interfacial polymerization and tuning the surface charge and morphology of the PA layer for enhanced PFOS removal, while the water permeability of the membrane was also improved. The main factors promoting the enhanced PFOS removal were electrostatic repulsion and size selectivity due to the negative surface charge of MXene and the enhanced extended nodular structure of PA due to the existence of MXene nanosheets during the IP process. In addition, results showed an optimum MXene loading at 0.025 wt % to achieve the enhanced PFOS rejection by over 20% (from 72 to 96%) compared to the bare TFC without any reduction in MgSO4 rejection. The rejection data showed that the salt ions (MgSO4) and PFOS molecules followed different transport mechanisms regarding the lamella structure and interlayer spacing of MXene nanosheets inside the PA layer. These results show the successful implication of MXene nanosheets as 2D additives for tuning TFC membrane properties toward the enhanced removal of emerging pollutants such as PFAS.
Journal Articles on this Report : 4 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 4 publications | 4 publications in selected types | All 4 journal articles |
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Le T, Chen X, Dong H, Tarpeh W, Perea-Cachero A, Coronas J, Martin SM, Mohammad M, Razmjou A, Esfahani AR, Koutahzadeh N. An evolving insight into metal organic framework-functionalized membranes for water and wastewater treatment and resource recovery. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 2021;60(19):6869-6907. |
SU840145 (Final) |
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Mokarizadeh H, Moayedfard S, Maleh MS, Mohamed SI, Nejati S, Esfahani MR. The role of support layer properties on the fabrication and performance of thin-film composite membranes:the significance of selective layer-support layer connectivity. Separation and Purification Technology 2021;278:119451. |
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Le T, Jamshidi E, Beidaghi M, Esfahani MR. Functionalized-MXene thin-film nanocomposite hollow fiber membranes for enhanced PFAS removal from water. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2022;14(22):25397-25408. |
SU840145 (Final) |
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Kasula M, Le T, Thomsen A, Esfahani MR. Silver metal organic frameworks and copper metal organic frameworks immobilized on graphene oxide for enhanced adsorption in water treatment. Chemical Engineering Journal 2022;439:135542. |
SU840145 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
PFAS removal, Membrane technology, MXene
Relevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractP3 Phase II:
Planet-friendly and scalable approach towards 100% recyclable water- and oil-resistant paper | 2022 Progress Report | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.