Development of ultrathin separation membranes utilizing 2D nanosheet materials for water treatment

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K05121
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 27010:Transport phenomena and unit operations-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Nakagawa Keizo 神戸大学, 科学技術イノベーション研究科, 准教授 (60423555)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松山 秀人 神戸大学, 先端膜工学研究センター, 教授 (50181798) ; 吉岡 朋久 神戸大学, 先端膜工学研究センター, 教授 (50284162)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ナノシート / 膜分離 / 水処理 / ナノろ過膜 / 酸化グラフェン / ニオブ酸ナノシート

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Inorganic membranes have excellent chemical resistance and mechanical strength. Therefore, the inorganic membranes have a wide range of applications, a long membrane life, and relatively high separation property. However, there are problems in terms of permeance, membrane-forming, and manufacturing cost.
In this study, we have developed ultrathin laminar membranes using graphene oxide and niobate nanosheets for water treatment. The composite membranes showed higher separation properties of salts than each single laminar membrane. From the results of structural analysis such as the positron annihilation method and molecular dynamics simulation, it was clarified that high separation performance is exhibited by the formation of an interfacial dense heterolayer between different nanosheet layers.

Free Research Field

膜分離工学，ナノ材料工学，触媒反応工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で開発された新規ナノシート複合膜は，過去に報告例のない異なる種類のナノシートで形成される超薄膜が形成されており，高い塩阻止性が得られている．このような結果は，水処理のみならずガス分離，有機溶剤ろ過への応用に展開でき，水や大気環境の改善，石油化学や医薬品産業等における溶剤濃縮の省エネルギー化に寄与することが期待される．本研究成果は，化学工学分野において重要な学術的知見であり，カーボンニュートラルの実現に貢献しうる．