Ehsan Saljoughi

The removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from aqueous streams is of considerable environmental and public-health importance. In the present work, n

Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (r-PET) bottles were successfully utilized to fabricate a single-layer separator for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Tests of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, mechanical properties, thickness, porosity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrolyte uptake, wettability, thermal stability, ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability, c-rate, and cycle life were carried out for the characterization and cell performance of the separator. Among fabricated separators, the P-20 sample seemed to be more proper relative to the others. According to the results, porosity, thickness, electrolyte uptake, and contact angle of this sample were 48.95%, 19.25 µm, 400%, and 25.1o, respectively. Furthermore, the separator showed low thermal shrinkage of 0.34% (at 90 oC, 60 min) and 0.84% (at 140 oC, 30 min). The cell containing the P-20 sample exhibited a 91% capacity retention, meaning it lost only 9% of its capacity after 50 consecutive charge/discharge cycles.

This study aims to demonstrate, for the first time, the potential of organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) for ethanol recovery from a soybean oil/ethanol mixture. At the same time, it focuses on the practicality of the process by addressing simple membrane fabrication and enhancing the trade‐off between permeability and selectivity. To this end, organic‐resistant membranes were developed using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as the base polymer, incorporating highly hydrophilic graphene hydroxyl (GOH) nanoparticles. The membranes were fabricated via non‐solvent induced phase separation (NIPS), and the impact of GOH incorporation at five different concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 1.25 wt%) on their structural characteristics and functional performance was systematically investigated. Comprehensive characterization was carried out using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), attenuated total reflection Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX). Additionally, membrane properties were evaluated through contact angle measurements, swelling tests, and tensile strength analysis. The results revealed that increasing the GOH content up to 0.75 wt% led to the formation of more pronounced and elongated finger‐like voids, improving membrane morphology. Furthermore, the addition of GOH significantly reduced the water contact angle, indicating enhanced hydrophilicity. Performance testing in the OSN process showed that membranes containing up to 0.75 wt% GOH exhibited an improved trade‐off, achieving a maximum flux of 1.77 L/m ² h bar while maintaining an oil rejection of approximately 99%.

Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membranes were fabricated for the first time using poly(4‐methyl‐1‐pentene) (PMP) via the non–solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method for ethanol recovery from a soybean oil/ethanol mixture. Nanocomposite membranes were also prepared by incorporating graphene hydroxyl (GOH) nanosheets at varying concentrations (0.5 to 1 wt%) to evaluate their impact on membrane properties and performance. The resulting nanocomposite membranes were systematically characterized in terms of morphology, porosity, surface wettability, mechanical strength, and solvent stability. The incorporation of GOH nanosheets led to a significant increase in porosity, hydrophilicity, tensile strength, and solvent permeance (from 0.74 to 2.55 L/m ² h·bar), while maintaining high soybean oil rejection (95%). The membranes also exhibited outstanding ethanol stability with minimal swelling and near‐complete gel retention after 4 weeks. These findings demonstrate a promising strategy for tailoring polymeric membranes with improved separation efficiency and sustainability. The novel PMP/GOH membrane system demonstrates strong potential for industrial solvent recovery processes, enabling energy‐efficient, hexane‐free oil extraction that aligns with green chemistry principles.

A Janus membrane was developed to enhance flux in the membrane distillation (MD) process for desalination. The membrane was fabricated by coating a thin hydrophilic crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) layer onto a hydrophobic polysulfone (PSF) membrane. Surface characterization by FESEM and AFM demonstrated a consistent PVA coating and a decrease in membrane surface roughness. Water contact angle decreased significantly from 94° to 64°, indicating enhanced surface hydrophilicity. Furthermore, liquid entry pressure (LEP _w ) revealed an increase from 6.5 to 7.0 bar after PVA modification, confirming the improved resistance to liquid intrusion. To assess its separation efficiency, the membrane was evaluated using a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) setup with a 3.5 wt.% NaCl saline feed. Results showed a notable increase in vapor flux from 17.13 kg/m ² h for the PSF membrane to 26.33 kg/m ² h for the PSF/PVA membrane. In addition, the Janus membrane demonstrated excellent long‐term stability over a 15‐h continuous operation, maintaining steady flux without delamination or performance degradation. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the PSF/PVA membrane structure in enhancing water vapor transport, offering a novel strategy to improve flux and performance in MD applications.

The water shortage dilemma urges the development of nanofiltration membranes that surpasses the trade‐off between rejection and flux. This study explores the synthesis of MXene nanosheets and their incorporation into polysulfone (PSf)‐polyamide (PA) membranes to develop thin‐film nanocomposite (TFNC) membranes with enhanced nanofiltration performance. The effects of MXene loading at different stages‐ within the PSf support and PA selective layer‐ on the membrane's properties and performance are investigated. MXene incorporation significantly influenced membrane structure, increasing surface hydrophilicity, roughness, and charge density. Nanofiltration experiments demonstrated improved water permeability and salt rejection, particularly for membranes with MXene introduced into the PA layer. The highest pure water flux (PWF) of 43.12 Lm ^{− 2} h ⁻¹ is obtained for the TFNC membrane where MXene is incorporated into the PSf support and the m‐phenylenediamine (MPD) solution, which is 4 times as much as the MXene‐free thin‐film composite membrane. This membrane also provided the highest rejection for solutes, with 98.32% for Na ₂ SO ₄ and 99.13% for methyl orange. Additionally, MXene‐modified membranes exhibited superior antifouling properties, as reflected in higher flux recovery ratios (FRR). These findings highlight the potential of MXene as an effective nanofiller for fabricating advanced membranes with enhanced permeability, selectivity, and fouling resistance.

This work explores boosting the performance of Polyethersulfone (PES) membranes by embedding Graphene Hydroxyl (GOH) nanoparticles through the Non‐solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. The GOH content ranged from 0 to 1.0 wt%, aimed at improving hydrophilicity, mechanical strength, and resistance to fouling. Comprehensive analyses, including FESEM, AFM, FTIR, and contact angle measurements, revealed that a GOH concentration of 0.5 wt% provided an optimal structure, achieving a porosity of 71.9% and a contact angle close to 43°. Performance assessments demonstrated a remarkable 164% rise in pure water flux and a flux recovery ratio of 78.5% for the 0.5 wt% GOH membrane, while maintaining dye rejection above 95%. Conversely, higher GOH concentrations led to nanoparticle aggregation, which diminished porosity and flux. The findings confirm that GOH‐modified PES membranes offer an excellent balance between permeability and selectivity, making them highly suitable for advanced filtration applications.