ZIF-8 based dual scale superhydrophobic membrane for membrane distillation

Hydrophobicity is one of the key factors in determining the permeate flux of membrane distillation. To obtain a high-performance membrane for membrane distillation, a novel preparation method of a superhydrophobic membrane with dual scale hierarchical rough structure was proposed by controlling the particle size of ZIF-8. Nano and micro scale ZIF-8 particles were synthesized by exploring the particle size regulation rules and then deposited on PTFE substrates through the spray method after hydrophobic modification by POTS. The prepared ZIF-8 crystal and modified membrane were analyzed by DLS, SEM-EDS, XRD, AFM, and WCA. The water contact angle of the superhydrophobic surface under optimized experimental conditions reached 165.5 degrees. Furthermore, membrane distillation experiments results of superhydrophobic membrane showed excellent permeate flux than commercial PTFE membrane. This research provides a promising strategy to prepare a superhydrophobic membrane and expands the possibility of MOF as a superhydrophobic coating.

Automated summary

By controlling the particle size of ZIF-8, a superhydrophobic membrane with dual scale hierarchical rough structure was prepared on PTFE substrates through the spray method. The water contact angle of the superhydrophobic surface reached 165.5 degrees under optimized experimental conditions. The membrane distillation experiments showed that the superhydrophobic membrane had excellent permeate flux compared to commercial PTFE membrane. This research provides a promising strategy for preparing superhydrophobic membranes and expands the possibility of using MOF as a superhydrophobic coating.