Synthesis and Physicochemical Properties of Polyamideimide Membranes Containing ZIF-8 and CMS Particles for Potential Gas Separation Applications
Abstract The present study involves the fabrication and characterization of Polyamideimide (PAI) membrane holding ZIF-8 and CMS particles for potential gas separation applications. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 (ZIF-8) nanocrystals were prepared by a precipitation reaction with Zinc metal cluster and 2-methylimidazole, whereas the carbon molecular sieves (CMS) were synthesized by pyrolysis of polyamideimide (PAI) polymer. ZIF-8 and CMS particles were characterized comprehensively for the functional group, crystallinity, and morphological analyses. The successful formation of ZIF-8 nanocrystals was evident from the rhombic octahedron shape, and EDX confirms the presence of Zn metal cluster and methylimidazole linker. The ZIF-8 and CMS nanoparticles incorporated PAI membranes were prepared using phase inversion technique with varying loading wt.% of 1, 2, and 3%. PAI/ZIF-8 and PAI/CMS membranes cross-sectional morphology confirmed that synthesized nanoparticles were well embedded through the PAI membrane. The PAI/ZIF-8 (3 %) membrane, thin dense skin top layer, and well-defined honeycomb porous substructure were observed. Furthermore, the ZIF-8 and CMS particles incorporation have a beneficial impact on the mechanical properties of PAI at the low loading of nanoparticles. Thus, the inclusion of ZIF-8 and CMS particles in the PAI matrix positively altered the physicochemical properties of the resulting hybrid membranes, which could help them achieve remarkable gas permeance and selectivity.