This project details the development of chemically resistant polyimide membranes derived from β-cyclodextrin, pairing the energy efficiency of a membrane separation process with the interesting and unique sorption properties of cyclodextrins. Cyclodextrin-based materials have achieved great notoreity recently for their utility in separation processes, and have been utilized in membranes for shape-selective discriminations in which molecules larger than the inner cavity of the macrocycle are rejected. However, the preparation of cyclodextrin-based membranes with the reverse selectivity—that is, the immobilization of compounds capable of forming inclusion complexes with the cyclic host—has not yet been reported. This selectivity would offer greater value to environmental remediation applications, but would likely necessitate some inherent porosity in the material to facilitate consistent mass transfer. The preparation of such membranes with high cyclodextrin contents and inherent porosity was achieved by the condensation of an aminated cyclodextrin derivative and dianhydride linker to form a hyperbranched polyimide, which was also chosen for the resistance of the linkages to hydrolysis. These membranes exhibited impressive chemical resistance and permeances, and the complete removal of organic micropollutant model compounds at enviromentally-relevant concentrations was successfully demonstrated. This technology offers a low-energy separation process for the purification of surface and groundwater by the outline of a novel, scalable synthesis of low-cost, cyclodextrin-derived polyimide membranes.

Novel polyimide membranes derived from β-cyclodextrin for environmental remediation applications

255th National Meeting (2018)

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