My research is in the area of polymer-nanocomposite hollow-fiber membranes. Specifically, I am interested in the use of zeolitic alumino-phosphate nano-flakes to improve the gas selective permeability of traditional hollow-fiber membranes. This research combines knowledge of alumino-phosphate nanoparticle synthesis and characterization with concepts of surface and interfacial science to produce a useful, engineered nanostructure within the selective skin of a hollow-fiber membrane.
At present, the performance of polymeric membranes for gas separations is bounded by the extent to which they can provide desired selectivity while simultaneously demonstrating acceptable flux (permeability). While inorganic crystalline molecular sieve thin-film materials address both of these issues, their mechanical properties and cost are prohibitive for all but the most specialized separation processes. The advent of a polymer-molecular sieve (zeolite) nanocomposite membrane would be an important step toward overcoming the current limitations of industrial gas separations technology.
A zeolite is one of a class of crystalline inorganic framework oxide materials with micropores in the 3-10 Angstrom range that have come to be known as "molecular sieves." These materials are useful in many diverse applications such as ion exchange, separations, and catalysis because of their precise crystalline structure and ability to screen molecules based on size and shape. The aluminophosphate class of zeolite molecular sieves offers unique promise for incorporation in hollow-fiber membranes because of the ability of crystallize aluminophosphates in layered topologies. The goal of this project is to exfoliate these layered materials, resulting in flakes of molecular thickness, and to orient these flakes, forming a nanostructured polymer-inorganic composite in the ~100-nm selective film of a hollow-fiber membrane
