Our research article on sulfonated CNT nanocomposite ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) for advancing the conductivity-permselectivity tradeoff of electrodialysis desalination is accepted for publication in Journal of Membrane Science!
A tradeoff between conductivity and permselectivity constrains the efficiency of IEMs. In this study, we develop nanocomposite cation exchange membranes by incorporating rationally functionalized 1-dimensional nanomaterials of sulfonic acid-decorated carbon nanotubes as fillers into the polymer matrix of sulfonated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenyleneoxide), to depart from this tradeoff. The fabricated nanocomposite IEMs exhibit improved conductivity while maintaining permselectivity. This study demonstrates the promise of percolating 1D nanomaterial networks to advance the conductivity-permselectivity tradeoff governing conventional IEMs.
