Fabrication and characterization of carbon nanotubes immobilized in porous polymeric membranes

We demonstrate that the incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the pores of a membrane can offer several advantages. A dispersion of CNTs in polyvinylidene fluoride was injected through a porous membrane, which immobilized the nanotubes in the pore structure. The CNTs served as a sorbent facilitating solute exchange between the two phases leading to enhancement of the enrichment factor by as much as 93%. The presence of CNTs also developed a diffusion barrier by sorbing solvent on its surface, which led to higher retention of the extractant within the membrane.