MXene/poly(ethylene glycol) mixed matrix membranes with excellent permeance for highly efficient separation of CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4

Membrane separation systems have received extensive attention in the field of gas separation due to its low cost, high-efficiency and eco-friendly advantages. However, it is till challenging to break through the trade-off effect for a highly efficient membrane separation process. Herein, a high-performance CO2-philic MXene/PEG mixed matrix membrane is prepared by a simple vacuum filtration process. Excellent CO2 permeance and selectivity in separation of the CO2/N-2 and CO2/CH4 is shown for the as-prepared MXene/PEG (600) mixed matrix membrane because of CO2-philic property of the PEG and the nanochannels of the MXene. In permeation experiment, exceptional CO2 permeance of 1626.99 GPU and ideal selectivity of 32.18 for CO2/N-2 and 27.84 for CO2/CH4, is exhibited, respectively, for 25 wt% MXene/PEG (600) mixed matrix membrane. This study provides a new strategy for design and fabrication of the CO2-philic MXene-based membrane with highly efficient separation of the CO2 from natural gas and flue gas.

Automated summary

Membrane separation systems have gained significant attention in the gas separation field due to their cost-effectiveness, high efficiency, and eco-friendly advantages. In this study, a high-performance CO2-philic MXene/PEG mixed matrix membrane was prepared through a simple vacuum filtration process, displaying excellent CO2 permeance and selectivity in the separation of CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4. The study demonstrates a new strategy for the design and fabrication of CO2-philic MXene-based membranes for highly efficient CO2 separation from natural gas and flue gas.