Performance Evaluation of Facilitated Transport Membranes Based on PEBA/Chitosan/Graphene Oxide for CO₂/N₂ Separation

Document Type : Research paper

Authors

Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Objective: The development of facilitated transport membranes often faces the challenge of reduced selectivity due to the increased free volume within the polymer matrix. The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution of unmodified graphene oxide (GO) and modified graphene oxide (M-GO) in a PEBA polymer matrix, as well as to evaluate the effect of surface-modified graphene oxide on improving the selectivity of PEBA/chitosan membranes.
Material and Methods: To prepare the facilitated transport membranes, graphene oxide was first dispersed in a water/ethanol solvent using an ultrasonic device. Then, 2 wt.% PEBA was dissolved in the prepared dispersion. Subsequently, a 1 wt.% chitosan solution was mixed with the homogeneous PEBA solution at a 1:1 ratio under magnetic stirring at room temperature.
The prepared membranes for investigation of the uniform distribution of filer in the polymer matrix by SEM and AFM tests and the interaction between filer and the polymer matrix were evaluated by FTIR. The CO2 permeation test was performed using constant pressure and variable volume.
Results: According to the SEM and AFM morphological and topological analyses, the membrane containing M-GO exhibited a smoother surface morphology compared to the one with unmodified GO. This improvement is attributed to better compatibility with the polymer chains and a more uniform dispersion within the membrane structure. The results indicated that membranes containing M-GO showed enhanced CO₂ permeability and CO₂/N₂ selectivity compared to those with unmodified GO.
Conclusion: Surface modification of M-GO, owing to stronger interfacial interactions through hydrogen bonding and improved interfacial compatibility between GO nanosheets and the polymer matrix, led to a 314% increase in CO₂/N₂ selectivity and a 440% improvement in CO₂ permeability.

Keywords

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References

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Journal of Separation Science and Engineering
Volume 18, Issue 1
June 2026
Pages 14-30

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