Materials and methods for photothermal membrane distillation
A photothermal distillation membrane comprising a tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-trichlorosilane (FTCS) fluoro-silanized, polydopamine (PDA) coated, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane is disclosed, as well as a process for synthesizing a FTCS-PDA-PVDF membrane. A tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-trichlorosilane (FTCS) fluoro-silanized, polydopamine (PDA) containing bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) aerogel membrane is also disclosed, as well as a process for synthesizing a FTCS-PDA/BNC aerogel membrane.
1. A photothermal membrane comprising tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-trichlorosilane (FTCS) and a polydopamine (PDA) coated, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane.
2. The photothermal membrane of claim 1 , wherein the photothermal membrane is hydrophobic.
3. The photothermal membrane of claim 1 , wherein the photothermal membrane has a solar efficiency of at least about 10%.
4. The photothermal membrane of claim 1 , wherein the photothermal membrane has a permeate flux of at least about 0.40 kg m −2 h −1 .
5. A process for synthesizing a photothermal membrane according to claim 1 , the process comprising:
coating a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane with polydopamine (PDA); and
fluorinating the PDA-coated PVDF membrane by coating the PDA-coated PVDF membrane with tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-trichlorosilane (FTCS).
6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the coating is achieved via in situ oxidative polymerization of dopamine or adsorption of pre-synthesized PDA.
7. The process of claim 5 , wherein the fluorination of the PDA-coated PVDF membrane is achieved via fluoro-silanization with tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-trichlorosilane (FTCS).
8. A photothermal aerogel membrane comprising a fluorine-containing organic molecule and polydopamine (PDA)-containing bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), wherein the photothermal aerogel membrane is hydrophobic.
9. The photothermal aerogel membrane of claim 8 , wherein the photothermal aerogel membrane is a bilayer membrane.
10. The photothermal aerogel membrane of claim 9 , wherein the bilayer membrane comprises a photothermal layer and a heat insulating layer.
11. The photothermal aerogel membrane of claim 10 , wherein the photothermal layer is a PDA-loaded BNC layer and wherein the heat insulating layer is a pristine BNC layer.
12. The photothermal aerogel membrane of claim 8 , wherein the photothermal aerogel membrane is self-disinfecting.
13. The photothermal aerogel membrane of claim 8 , wherein the photothermal aerogel membrane has a solar efficiency of at least about 10%.
14. The photothermal aerogel membrane of claim 8 , wherein the photothermal aerogel membrane has a permeate flux of at least about 1.0 kg m −2 h −1 .
15. A process for synthesizing a photothermal aerogel membrane according to claim 8 , the process comprising:
incorporating polydopamine (PDA) particles into a bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) hydrogel; and
fluorinating the PDA-containing BNC hydrogel by coating the PDA-containing BNC hydrogel with a fluorine-containing organic molecule.
16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the BNC hydrogel is synthesized from a Gluconacetobacter hansenii culture.
17. The process of claim 15 , wherein the PDA particles are spherical.
18. The process of claim 15 , further comprising freeze-drying the PDA-containing BNC hydrogel prior to the fluorination.
19. The process of claim 15 , wherein the fluorination is achieved via a fluoro-silanization with tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-trichlorosilane (FTCS).