Asymmetric nanoporous membranes for ethanol/water pervaporation separation and their design

To explore the design of pervaporation membranes for ethanol recovery, zeolite nanosheets with different surface characteristics on the feed and permeate sides are investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. The results demonstrate the significant role of the permeate-side surface in the separation performance. By adopting an asymmetric membrane design with a hydrophobic feed-side surface and a hydrophilic one on the permeate side, the separation factor can be enhanced by nearly three-fold as compared to that of both hydrophobic surfaces, with an improved permeation flux. Unraveling the design of pervaporation membranes with asymmetric surface characteristics for notably improved ethanol/water separation performance.