The proposed research uses nanotechnology to redesign osmosis membranes for cost-effective desalination and purification of water. In particular, a solution-based printing technique is proposed to fabricate large-area, vertically-aligned carbon nanotube-based osmosis membranes. A systematic analysis of the structure-processing-property correlations will provide a foundation for the optimization of new multifunctional nanomaterials. The transformative research driven by this concept will have the potential to radically change current scientific understanding on new water treatment technologies to meet water resource needs in energy-constrained areas. The educational impacts of this proposal include the development of new undergraduate curricula to strengthen students? desire for lifelong learning. A large number of undergraduate students, including under-represented students and women, will receive the multidisciplinary training on chemistry, physics, materials and engineering. The outreach activities will target local K-12 students and teachers.
The research in this project is aimed to develop facile screen-printing systems for massive production of nano-enhanced, ordered osmosis membranes from liquid crystalline solutions. The target osmosis membranes consist of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes in the polymer matrix. Carbon nanotubes will be dispersed in liquid crystals of polymerizable surfactants that serve as an orientation template to organize nanotubes in the surfactant micellar cores. The ink printability in relation to the rheology of nanotube dispersions will be evaluated systematically. During screen-printing, the vertical shear flow will allow surfactant wrapped nanotubes to reorient themselves to form vertically aligned nanostructures on the substrate, which will be subsequently photo-polymerized into aligned nanotube-polymer composites. Finally, the porous polyamide will be incorporated into aligned nanotube composites to produce nano-enhanced, ordered osmosis membranes. Such ordered nanostructures will maximize fast water flux and minimize biofouling in molecular channels of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.
